A 39-year-old man has become the first person in England and Wales to be convicted of cyberflashing, which became an offence in January as part of the Online Safety Act.
Nicholas Hawkes, from Basildon in Essex, sent unsolicited photos of his erect penis to a 15-year-old girl and a woman on 9 February, the Crown Prosecution Service said. The woman took screenshots of the image on WhatsApp and reported Hawkes to Essex police the same day.
At Southend magistrates court on Monday, Hawkes admitted to two counts of sending a photograph or film of genitals to cause alarm, distress or humiliation, the CPS said. He was convicted at the hearing and was remanded in custody to be sentenced at Basildon crown court on 11 March.
Sefer Mani of CPS East of England said: “Cyberflashing is a grotesque crime and the fact we were able to deliver swift justice for the two victims shows the new law is working.
“Everyone should feel safe wherever they are and not be subjected to receiving unwanted sexual images. I urge anyone who feels they have been a victim of cyberflashing to report it to the police and know that they will be taken seriously and have their identities protected.”
Victims of cyberflashing and image-based abuse receive lifelong anonymity under the Sexual Offences Act from the point they make their report.
Hawkes is already listed as a registered sex offender until November 2033 after he was convicted and given a community order for sexual activity with a child under 16 and exposure last year at Basildon crown court, the CPS said.
He will be sentenced for breaching the order at the same as for the latest offence in March.