Revenge porn abusers will now face up to 6 months in prison

People who share explicit images online, without the consent of those depicted in the photo, will face imprisonment under the UK government's new measures.

The new Online Safety Bill sets out to punish abusers, perpetrators and bitter ex-partners. The Online Safety Bill also aims to protect the victims of "revenge porn" and allow the victim to get justice.

The new law will also remove the compulsory requirement for prosecutors to prove that the perpetrator intended to cause the victim stress to secure a conviction.

Since 2015, revenge porn has been a criminal act. However, for almost 10 years, victims have had to prove that there was intent to cause embarrassment or humiliation in order for justice to be served.

Statistics show that only six per cent of revenge porn victims are able to get their perpetrator charged.

Removing this requirement will make it easier to charge and convict the abuser who has shared intimate images without consent.

If it is proven that the revenge porn perpetrator had also intended to cause distress, alarm or obtain sexual gratification, they could face up to two years in prison. The offenders who are found guilty of sharing revenge porn images or video footage, could now also be placed on the sex offender register.

Alex Chalk KC, the Secretary of State for Justice, declared: "We are cracking down on abusers who share or manipulate intimate photos in order to hound or humiliate women and girls."

The new reform comes after Georgia Harrison, a former Love Island contestant, campaigned to make it easier for revenge porn victims to get justice.

In March 2023, reality-star Stephen Bear was found guilty of sharing a sex tape that featured his ex-partner, Georgia Harrison. Georgia Harrison was unaware that Stephen Bear had filmed their most private moments.

Stephen Bear profited from the explicit footage after he posted the secret footage on his OnlyFans profile without her permission. After several court sessions, over the course of nearly three years, Stephen Bear was jailed for 21 months.

The reality TV scandal raised awareness of revenge porn victims and the punishments that perpetrators should face.

Georgia Harrison went on to film the documentary 'Revenge Porn', which followed her experience with the criminal justice system and being a victim of image-based abuse.

In her documentary, Georgia Harrison admitted that the fight for justice almost cost her – her career. Throughout the legal process, Georgia Harrison lost major business collaborations and has since planned to sue Stephen Bear for the loss of her earnings.

Speaking on behalf of revenge porn victims, Georgia Harrison clarified: "The reforms to the law that has been passed today are going to go down in history as a turning point for generations to come and will bring peace of mind to so many victims who have reached out to me whilst also giving future victim's the justice they deserve."

Georgia Harrison thanked the public for their support throughout the campaign. She said: "It just goes to show how amazing our country is that the government have reacted so quickly to push through these amendments."

Research shows that one in seven women and one in nine men aged 18 to 34 have experienced revenge porn threats. Between 2015 and 2021, more than 28,000 reports of disclosing private sexual images without consent were recorded by the police.

The Online Safety Bill also criminalises the sharing of 'deep fake' explicit images. Intimate images or video footage that has been manipulated by a digital editing software, will also face imprisonment.

Deepfake content usually involves pornographic images that have been edited to depict a different person without their consent.

Edward Argar, the Justice Minister, expressed: "No one should ever fear that their intimate images will be put online without their consent and the true courage shown by Georgia Harrison to tell her story will help empower more victims to come forward and get the justice they deserve."