Three types of ‘horrifying’ pornography have been made illegal in the UK

This week, the Government introduced a series of new laws designed to ‘stop cowardly perpetrators who hide behind the scenes and think they can facilitate abuse with impunity.’

Three new amendments to last year’s Crime and Policing Bill were tabled in Parliament yesterday, focusing on what Alex Davies-Jones, Minister for Victims and Violence Against Women and Girls, called an ‘epidemic’ of ‘appalling behaviour’.

Based on existing laws surrounding image-based sexual abuse (such as banning strangulation and asphyxiation pornography), this addition would make it illegal to shoot intimate videos without consent, and to create or share ‘semen-impaired’ images without consent.

Depictions of incest will also be banned on pornographic sites, whereas currently only incest itself is a criminal offence.

Once these new regulations – which are currently at the reporting stage in the House of Lords – come into force, they will each carry a penalty of up to six months in prison or a fine, while Ofcom will have powers under the Online Safety Act to take action against sites hosting unlawful content.

‘Abuse of victims continues to grow in the online and offline world,’ Alex shared Metro. ‘We need to act, and we need a criminal justice system that is fit for the modern age.’

According to the Pontypridd MP, this amendment is the latest step in the Government’s efforts to reduce levels of violence against women.

Here, we break them down one by one.

Intimate video screenshot

Under the new law, taking screenshots of intimate images or videos without consent, whether it’s a video call or content sent using time-limited apps, such as Snapchat or Instagram, is illegal.

This Is Not True

On November 25, 2024 Metro launched This Is Not Right, a campaign to address the persistent epidemic of violence against women.

With the help of our partners at Women’s Aid, This Is Not Right aims to highlight the scale of this national emergency.

You can find more articles Hereand if you want to share your story with us, you can email us at [email protected].

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The most important thing is whether you share the image or not — ‘closing the loophole’ to make possession itself, even for ‘personal use’ a criminal offence.

Alex explained: ‘When platforms fail to act to protect victims and keep people safe, we step in.

‘So, if your image is taken without your consent via a screenshot, when you only chose to send it once, or via a video call, where it was not intended to be a static image, you can report it to the police.

“We expect them to use all available legal powers to pursue perpetrators and hold them to account. And we also expect Ofcom, as the regulator, to hold the platforms accountable.”

Additionally, the court may issue a forfeiture order, meaning the infringer’s device is confiscated to ensure the images are properly deleted.

Semen-stained images

Also known as ‘tributing’ or ‘doughnut-glazing’, this act usually involves depicting semen on another person’s image, which is shared to give the impression that the perpetrator has masturbated to the victim’s image.

“This doesn’t just happen to celebrities or politicians,” says Alex. ‘This happens to women every day, all the time. And it’s about power and control; degrading and abusing the victim is an offence.’

The new law will cover all semen-tampered images, including images created using AI, and regardless of whether the victim is fully clothed or ‘in a state of intimacy’.

This also applies to ‘semen-like substances’, meaning there is no requirement for the victim or the court to prove definitively what is intended – just intent is enough.

Victims can report this again to the police and social media platforms, who have 48 hours to remove the offending image before receiving an Ofcom sanction.

Depiction of incest

‘Possession of these horrific objects does have a negative impact in the real world, and is linked to sexual abuse of children as a result,’ said Alex.

In fact, he recently met a woman whose father was viewing depictions of incest in pornographic films, then “made up an elaborate story about abusing her, and posted it online.”

‘Her story will stay with me forever,’ added Alex. ‘But sadly, there are too many victims and too many perpetrators, which is why the government needs to act.’

The creation and possession of pornographic films depicting incest, whether they appear genuinely related or not, will be prohibited under the new law.

‘Stepfamily’ content is not currently included in the legislation, but Alex said the Government would carry out a ‘wider review [around extreme pornography] and see what else needs to be done in the future.

He continued: ‘This has become normalized in society, and it is a problem. We want everyone to be aware of the importance of healthy consensual relationships, which is why these relationships are also part of our strategy regarding violence against women and girls in the areas of education and prevention.’

“It’s also not the responsibility of the criminal justice system to fix this; we can criminalize these behaviors, but if we don’t address the root causes through education and cultural change, then we won’t fix the harm they cause.”

After the Online Safety Law was enacted late last year, some critics argued that the law restricted their freedom of expression.

However, Alex denied this, saying: ‘This is simply about what is first and foremost consent, and what is classed as abuse and violation. This is what the government is taking firm action against.

‘I’m not here to tell anyone what they can do in their bedroom if it’s safe, legal and consensual. But what am I Morning what must be done is to prevent harassment and violence against women and girls, and ensure they feel safe both on the internet and in the real world.’

This Is Not True

On November 25, 2024 Metro launched This Is Not Right, a campaign to address the persistent epidemic of violence against women.

With the help of our partners at Women’s Aid, This Is Not Right aims to highlight the scale of this national emergency.

You can find more articles Hereand if you want to share your story with us, you can email us at [email protected].

Read more:

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