A 39-year-old registered sex offender from Basildon, Essex, Nicholas Hawkes, has become the first person in England and Wales to be convicted of cyber-flashing.
The disturbing incident occurred when Hawkes sent unsolicited photos of his erect penis to a 15-year-old girl and another woman.
The woman promptly took screenshots of the explicit image on WhatsApp and reported Hawkes to Essex Police.
Appearing before magistrates in Southend, Hawkes admitted to two charges related to this offense. This marks the inaugural conviction under the new offense of cyber-flashing, which was introduced under the Online Safety Act and took effect on January 31.
Following his guilty plea to two counts of sending genital images to cause alarm, distress, or humiliation, Hawkes was remanded in custody until March 11. On this date, he is scheduled to be sentenced at Basildon Crown Court.
Sefer Mani, representing the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in the East of England, condemned cyber-flashing as a “grotesque crime” and highlighted the swift justice delivered for the victims, emphasising that the new law is proving effective.
“Everyone should feel safe wherever they are and not be subjected to receiving unwanted sexual images,” Mani said.
“I urge anyone who feels they have been a victim of cyber-flashing to report it to the police and know that they will be taken seriously and have their identities protected.”
[Image via Shutterstock]