Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to criminalise the offence of threatening to share explicit images without consent.

Activities involving sharing or threatening to share intimate images are captured by existing offences tackling “revenge pornography”, harassment, malicious communications, blackmail, and “coercive or controlling behaviour”.

However, the Government recognises that there is concern over the growth of new technology and the impact on the law in this area.

We have asked the Law Commission to review the law in this area to ensure victims are properly protected. The Law Commission intends to publish a public consultation paper shortly with a view to announcing findings later this year, which the Government will consider carefully.