Should unsolicited dick pics be an arrestable offence?

[Asta19]

Now i’m not talking about pre agreed photo swapping between two consenting adults. Obviously in that scenario it’s their own business. I’m talking, guy you hardly know sending an unasked for dick pic. Any of us who have online dated likely have experience of this. Exposure in person is, quite rightly, an arrestable offence but it seems that there is no such protection online. Why? You could argue “don’t look at the pic then” but would you say to an exposure victim “just don’t look” no of course not. Taking my own experience, and that of friends and relatives, many of us have fallen victim to the unasked for dick pic. I feel we have successfully dealt with harassment/indecent behaviour in real life. For example it has now been illegal (and a sex offence) for some time, to pinch a woman’s bum. Yet this type of behaviour has transferred online and we’re supposed to just accept it. AIBU? Interested in others thoughts on this.

It’s already an offence under a number of statutes (eg the Communications Act 2003, or the Malicious Communications Act 1988).

The police already has a power of arrest where they think arrest is necessary to allow effective investigation, so you’re pushing at a door that is already wide open.

What would the sentence be for sending a pic. A fine? Maybe fines would become trophy counts for some men.

Up to 6 months imprisonment.

I think this whole thread is damaging as it may lead people to think that it is not an offence and not arrestable. It is both. It is spreading false information (inadvertently) which may lead victims to think it's not worthwhile reporting to the police. People should be aware that they can report these things to the police.

I have never received one, but I quite like the style of some famous women on instagram who screen shot the message then put it on their own Instagram stories.

Of course they can report them to the police but then need to actually follow through and provide a statement and attend court if necessary. It’s not something that the police can deal with without any further input by the victim.

Yes it should be an offence

@Wolfcub It is already an offence and the police can arrest. See my post above,

Yes.

But no in reality.

Because the police and courts are so overloaded it takes them years to even get severe rape cases through. The reality of the systems means it can’t handle the overload.

And according to the men I’ve talked to who are OLD, there is a fair few women that do this too!

It’s already an offence to send unsolicited nude pictures.

There used to be a woman who hung around kings cross and hydepark corner who would air drop nudes to the poor sods who hadn’t turned air drop off. I don’t know if she was eventually arrested, but I hope she was, as obviously children would have also received those pictures as well.

Apart from the kings cross/hydepark nutter I have never received an unsolicited dick pick, and I have spent a fair bit of time in gay clubs with airdrop enabled. It does seem to be more of a hetero issue, which is odd.

I know where you're coming from, but I think it would just tie up too many police resources in reality - this must happen so many times a day and they're already going after Twitter trolls.

Maybe they should just get the main platforms to sign up to a programme where fines are issued automatically for this - as a pp said, they know how to filter the content.

Generally though, if you invent new criminal offences that are easily resolved - i.e. you can easily prove who did it - then conviction stats would go up, so the police would look great for doing hardly any extra work as these cases would be so easy to resolve. And it would take resources away from investigating "real world" crimes that I'm more bothered about tbh. If there's any stalking or harassment or threat of violence etc then obviously it's already a crime. I assume sending one or two dick pics isn't really covered under this though - or the CPS wouldn't prosecute because I assume sentencing would be more or less non existent.

It's grim and intrusive.

Apparently it does work sometimes though, which is just as grim. Brother's exmate used to be prolific online dating (when in a relationship with SIL friend hence why brother dropped him), he always sent dick pics and said for every 2 women getting turned off he would get one sending back her own pics. I think he found a lot of cheats, like himself, used the dating sites to tour for sex while pretending to be single and wanting a relationship.

@AlbertWinestein
"Yes. And I think asking a 16 year old girl to share booty pics, completely unsolicited, should be illegal too."

It is, if the person asking is over 18. Under 18 and it can still be a chargeable offence, but is open to flexibility.

It comes under the law around 'under 18's engaging in pornographic images'.

The law about dick pics applies to both sexes. It just depends on if they are reported.

" if you invent new criminal offences that are easily resolved - i.e. you can easily prove who did it - then conviction stats would go up,"

That already happens, wgich is why you have to look behind the statistics.

"I know where you're coming from, but I think it would just tie up too many police resources in reality -"

They have a dedicated team for online communications. That's what they are there for.

For those saying how would they know it wasn't asked for. They get your full phone records. Which is why some people (women) don't want to report it, because they feel it's an invasion of privacy. Men use this to their advantage by trying to get you to engage in a bit of sexual chat.

“ You’re potentially also signing up for your sons to be criminalised ( and apparently put on the sex offenders register)”

So?

My sons are very well aware of the seriousness of such behaviour, with or without legal enforcement. We haven’t decriminalised drug use, drink driving or shoplifting in case one of our sons might get a criminal record

And actually as a mother of sons I am not prepared for other people’s daughters to be harassed and molested just to afford my sons the luxury of prosecution free sex pesting .

And I think asking a 16 year old girl to share booty pics, completely unsolicited, should be illegal too."

If the 16 year old sends the picture then they have committed an offence of distributing indecent images of children.

Yes they should be an offence. It completely baffles me that anyone would think that's a way to get any kind of female attention.

YES!
Sending random photos of your willy is intrusive and offensive!

However, this OP should really read ‘would everyone be willing to pay an extra 5% tax so the police force can arrest every adult who sends unsolicited pics of their genitals?

Collaborate my understanding is that you have to have some evidence of malicious intent for it to be an offence. If the man argues that he thought the woman was interested / he simply misread the signals / genuinely didn't mean to cause distress etc etc, then it's unlikely to go anywhere.

It is an offence as stated up thread and if police put the effort in they could easily get convictions.

They should all be banned - solicited or not. I'm a nurse and I've seen thousands of 'em......I've never seen a pretty one yet. Why men are so proud of them, is a mystery .

Yes

I really think it needs to become illegal, as others have said it is just like flashing which is already an offence. I'd actually try online dating if they banned dick pics.

Cross posted. If it is an offence already then apps and websites need to make this information more publicly visible. Something like "Sending unsolicited nude and sexual images is an offence and in breach of our terms of service. Users who choose to ignore this warning will be banned from the app/site for life and have their details passed on to the police."

On twitter there’s an education community, some are very prolific and well-known posters. It came out a while back that some very high profile edu-twitter users were sending unsolicited dick pics to female teachers on twitter.
These would be well-known male teachers and headteachers. The first woman to talk about it was then inundated with messages from other women saying it happened to them too.

I just can’t get my head around why they would take that risk. Teachers - they could lose their jobs.

I think it would be nipped in the bud more quickly if more women outed the men who did it.

It feels like the 21st century equivalent of a bum pinch. Years ago we put up with it as an unwelcome consequence of socialising in clubs etc. And it did used to work as a chat up technique with some women who may have then struck up a conversation with the man.

These days it's rightly seen as sexual assault although still relatively unlikely to be prosecuted without more to it. And hopefully there's less of it with men policing their friends to pack it in.

Dick pics are the new version of that. Sending unsolicited pictures of your dick as a way to ignite a conversation is completely unacceptable but if it's ever worked then that's why they continue.

It will probably end up being arrestable on as many occasions as bum pinching but everyone who knows someone who does this needs to call them out on it and tell them to stop.

@MutedUser

Yes it should and the same should apply to woman who send body parts pictures to men unsolicited too.

There's always one.

@Unknownanon

Brother's ex-mate used to be prolific online dating (when in a relationship with SIL friend hence why brother dropped him), he always sent dick pics and said for every 2 women getting turned off he would get one sending back her own pics.

I don't believe this for a minute, and reckon your brother's 'ex-mate' is full of shit. Unless he was on a site where people were signed up to meet for SEX, then no WAY did 1 in 3 women send a pic of her fanny. Utter crap.

And yes, I absolutely WOULD report any man I knew doing this. Even a son, uncle, cousin. IDGAF. Being female myself, like the vast majority of women, I have had to put up with a LOT of sexual harassment (and even a couple of sexual assaults,) in the past.

And now seeing young female family members, and young female friends and acquaintances, having to tolerate the same SHIT; you can bet your fucking life I would report it to the police. I would frog-march the fucker to the police station myself.

@grumpypregnanttired

Yeah but why only dick pics? I think this should cover ANY unsolicited nude photos sent from a male or a female. If sending unsolicited dick pics is a crime then so should be unsolicited and unwanted photos of breasts/nudes etc.

I said there's always one, but hey! There's ANOTHER. Stop with your 'Not All Men Are Like That' and 'Women Do It Too' bollocks. Women do NOT send pics of their vulva, arse, tits etc etc, to a man that has simply asked to meet someone to date. MEN DO send pics of their dick and bollocks when a woman is simply looking for someone to date.. Happens all the time.

Women don't do it. Unless (as I said,) they are on a 'looking for someone for sex' website. I would think there is something seriously wrong with any woman who sent a pic of her fanny to some random man who was just hoping for a date with a woman, and I would try and get help for her.

As for men, I simply cannot get my head round why they do it. Whenever I have asked men I know, they just shrug their shoulders.

And as a few posters have said, the male appendage looks like the last chicken in the shop. It is NOT pretty. Why they think a woman will like it or be turned on by it just baffles me. Must be the same men who think a woman gets turned on by having a cervical smear, or by inserting a tampon. Men who are a bit thick.

Idiots.