London – A 39-year-old man has become the first person in England and Wales convicted of cyberflashing since it was made illegal in January.
Nicholas Hawkes from Basildon, Essex, sent unsolicited photos of his erect penis to a 15-year-old girl and a woman on February 9th, said the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
The woman screenshotted the WhatsApp image and reported Hawkes to Essex Police the same day.
At Southend Magistrates’ Court on Monday, Hawkes admitted two counts of sending genital photos to cause alarm, distress or humiliation. He was convicted and remanded for sentencing at Basildon Crown Court on 11th March.
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CPS prosecutor Sefer Mani said: “Cyberflashing is a grotesque crime and the swift justice here shows the new law is working.”
“Everyone should feel safe and not get unwanted sexual images. Report cyberflashing to police and know you’ll be taken seriously,” he urged.
Victims get lifelong anonymity under the Sexual Offences Act from reporting.
Hawkes is already a registered sex offender until 2033 for previous child and exposure convictions.
He’ll also be sentenced for breaching that order in March alongside the cyberflashing conviction.
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