Producing a real or purported intimate image, with offences depending on consent, intent and jurisdiction.
Back to the glossaryUK law & digital life
Intimate-image offences
Criminal offences and related laws concerning taking, creating, copying, sharing or threatening to share images showing or appearing to show a person in an intimate state without the required consent or reasonable belief in consent.
UK law & digital life
In brief
Consent is specific to creating, retaining, copying and sharing—not transferred between them.
Intimate-image law has changed rapidly and is not one UK-wide rule. England and Wales now use a suite of Sexual Offences Act 2003 offences expanded by the Online Safety Act 2023, Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 and Crime and Policing Act 2026. Scotland and Northern Ireland have distinct legislation and tests. Conduct date and location matter.
Sending, posting or otherwise disclosing an image; consent to creation is not consent to distribution.
Using a threat that may be criminal even if the image does not exist or is never disclosed.
Capturing content shared on a limited-view basis, now addressed specifically in England and Wales.
Separate acts require separate consent
Agreement to be photographed does not imply agreement to store indefinitely, show a friend, post online or use for AI training. Each new purpose requires its own lawful basis and consent analysis.
Relationship history, prior sharing or public identity does not establish current consent. Withdrawal may affect future use even where technical deletion cannot be guaranteed.
England and Wales
Current offences cover specified non-consensual sharing, threatening, creating or requesting purported adult intimate images, and other taking or copying conduct. Fault requirements and defences differ between offences.
Recent reforms have commencement dates and detailed exemptions. Use current legislation and CPS guidance for conduct on a particular date.
Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland's Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Act 2016 addresses disclosure or threats involving intimate images under its own tests, alongside other possible offences. Reform of creation law has also been under consideration.
Northern Ireland uses its own statutory framework and applicable UK-wide provisions. Never assume the England-and-Wales offence wording applies unchanged.
Preservation, reporting and support
A victim can preserve URLs, usernames, dates and unedited screenshots without redistributing content more widely. Platforms, police and specialist support services may help with removal and reporting.
Do not download or retain suspected child sexual images to gather evidence. Seek police or specialist instructions because possession and copying can itself be unlawful.
Non-graphic examples
What the umbrella may include
- Refusing to forward an image received privately.
- Treating consent to a photograph as separate from consent to post it.
- Preserving a URL and message metadata for reporting.
- Reporting a threat even when unsure whether an image exists.
- Checking the law applicable when and where conduct occurred.
Reviewed 30 August 2026
Keep exploring.
This detailed field note uses the best available evidence without treating one community sample as universal. Evidence limits and UK context are stated where relevant.
Prepared by The UK Kink Guide editorial team. Read the evidence and review methodology.
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