What is the law on revenge porn?

As new data shows that more than 200 people have been prosecuted for 'revenge porn' since a new law came into affect 18 months ago, ITV News lays out the detail on exactly what the legislation means.

  • How does the law define revenge porn?

It is illegal to share "a private sexual film or photograph" without the knowledge of the person shown and with the intention of causing them embarrassment or distress, under a new law which came into force last April.

Government guidance said that the law would not only cover explicit material but anything "that a reasonable person would consider to be sexual" and could include pictures of someone posing provocatively.

  • What are the penalties?

Anyone convicted could face a sentence of up to two years in prison.

Prosecutors have urged victims to come forward Credit: MOJ

  • Who might carry out revenge porn?

The new law was largely aimed at those who share explicit images or videos of former partners to shame them after a break-up.

However offenders are also likely to include abusive partners, friends of victims who share images as a 'joke' or victims of hacking attacks online.

  • Is revenge porn always online?

No. Although the majority of offences involve the internet or social media, the law also covers material sent offline.

It could include pictures or video sent by text - or showing someone a printed photo.

The law covers material shared both online and offline Credit: MOJ

  • Was 'revenge porn' illegal before the new law?

Prosecutors were already targeting people who shared 'revenge porn' using a range of others laws but there was not a specific offence, making it harder to bring some cases to court.

The legislation also brought in a sentence of up to two years in prison.

The new law was also accompanied by a major campaign to get victims to report cases to police.