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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

Children sharing indecent images

31 replies

BrickByBrick · 12/10/2018 21:19

Whilst driving home from work I heard a report about the following on the radio

www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/county-durham-police-snapchat-offences-15252441

In summary (and from the radio piece) a boy, at the request of another, took a picture of his penis and sent it via snap chat. This then got shared.

The police are now involved and they are facing charges for making an indecent image, sharing and possessing an indecent image. They were reported to be about 13 years old.

I was surprised at the legalities behind the situation and that despite being children they can still be charged with them above and possibly put on the sex offenders register. I knew that it was very wrong but hadn't realised the extent of the legalities.

Is this just me? I am planning on talking to dd (12yrs) and will be talking to ds (10) in a few years, I am more worried about him as he has autism and potentially could be more vulnerable.

I just wondered what others thought, I didn't want to put it on the likes of chat as I would prefer a discussion mainly involving those with pre-teens/teenagers themselves (obviously other input is welcome)

OP posts:

Thelaststand · 12/10/2018 21:22

I 100% agree with this. The full weight of the law needs to be applied.

I’ve seen a boy of 10 years old showing his friends a porn video his uncle sent him.

The use of smart phones in the hands of children is very dangerous

DevonCherry · 12/10/2018 21:26

Apparently even photographing / sharing a photo of your own 12 year old penis makes you guilty of making / sharing indecent images of children!

Original poster

BrickByBrick · 12/10/2018 21:32

devon that was the bit I think I was most shocked at, that even taking a photo of your own can lead to a charge relating to indecent images.

I do agree that it needs to be dealt with strongly - I was just unaware at how strongly it was dealt with within the law.

OP posts:

clary · 12/10/2018 22:20

I imagine most secondary schools reinforce this message, certainly the one I worked in had repeated assemblies on the subject, yes even sharing a pic of yourself with your boyfriend (if under age) is against the law.

All parents of teens/pre teens need to know this too. Over the age of 10 is old enough to commit a crime in the eyes of the law in the UK.

Original poster

BrickByBrick · 12/10/2018 22:30

All parents of teens/pre teens need to know this too.

Absolutely. And I wonder how many, like me, are/were not aware of the actual weight of the law behind it.

OP posts:

UserName31456789 · 13/10/2018 11:06

I would hope the law distinguishes between a child taking a picture of their own body and an adult doing so. While I think it's vital that sharing images of anyone against their will is dealt with incredibly strongly there's a very obvious distinction between teenagers being interested in their own bodies and the bodies of other teenagers their own age and an adult wanting to see pictures of young teenagers naked.

ShalomJackie · 13/10/2018 14:22

This was covered in PHSE class in year 7 for my son and also a parents talk about all things internet related for that year group.

clary · 13/10/2018 18:14

User if a child takes an indecent photo of themselves and shares it with another child, then they are breaking the law. I don't think anyone is equating that with paedophilia, but it's still illegal and they could be prosecuted.

steppemum · 13/10/2018 18:18

It is alos a case of the law lagging behind reality, because in this case the law is anyone under 18.

So 2 17 year olds in a consensual sexual relationship would be guilty of indecent images of they took a photo of them selves and sent it to their partner.

To be fair I have heard this talked about a lot, and I think it is told very clearly to most in school. My kids seem to know it well, and be very wary of ANY photos they send.

UserName31456789 · 13/10/2018 18:22

Thanks for the clarification clary. It does seem like the law needs updating if two almost 18 year olds in a consenting relationship can't exchange images with each other. I would hope at least that the crime they would be charged with would be different from the crime a 40 year old would be charged with if they were disseminating images of young children.

clary · 13/10/2018 18:33

Under 16 not under 18, age of consent is 16 in uk

clary · 13/10/2018 18:35

At least that's what I thought - if it's 18 that's mad, the people in question could be married!!

noblegiraffe · 13/10/2018 18:35

Why should the law be updated so that naked images of children can be circulated?

Once the images are there, they can leave the control of the couple, consenting or otherwise. Those images should not exist, loopholes should not exist.

clary · 13/10/2018 18:37

Blimey I just checked and it is 18, that does seem crazy

UserName31456789 · 13/10/2018 18:42

Why should the law be updated so that naked images of children can be circulated?

Someone who is almost 18 should be able to take photos of themselves if they want to.

It's also fairly obvious that a 15 year old giving photos of themselves to a partner (while very wrong in itself) is not the same as an adult taking or sharing images children.

steppemum · 13/10/2018 18:49

Under 16 not under 18, age of consent is 16 in uk

yes it is 18, because this is not about age of consent.
For the purposes of indecent images, the image is held to be of anyone under 18.

The law needs updating, not to change the children bit, but to acknowledge the age 16/17 part, and of young people sending their own image to their own boyfriend/girlfriend.

The again, keeping the law as it is does make everyone think twice.

Racecardriver · 13/10/2018 18:50

This is why children really really shouldn't be given smart phones. I grew up with them and I know that they are a recipe for trouble and completely unnecessary. They can manage with a monitored pc for homework and a regular phone for keeping in touch with people.

steppemum · 13/10/2018 18:51

I would hope at least that the crime they would be charged with would be different from the crime a 40 year old would be charged with if they were disseminating images of young children

same crime (if the police choose to press charges)

it is the taking of indecent images, the possession of indecent images, and the distribution of indecent images. Even if it is of yourself.
To make it worse, if as a prank they take a dick pick and send it to their mates, ALL of their mates who have the picture on their phones become guilty of possession of indecent images.

steppemum · 13/10/2018 18:52

BTW I am not in any way an expert, not in police, or law.
I have just done some recent training as part of safeguarding.

Blackoutblinds · 13/10/2018 18:53

I’m glad this is the case.

steppemum · 13/10/2018 18:53

I disagree racecardriver.

I have 2 teens, they know this law, and many of the other relating to internet very well, and are not stupid. I have taught them, and so has school.
It is a choice you have to make individually with each child. But I trust mine not to do anything stupid. So far that trust has proved sound.

Winebottle · 13/10/2018 19:10

I think the law should stay as it is. You can't have a nearly 18 year old sharing pictures of a 12 year old with 50 people on snapchat, including adults, for example.

It is easier if sharing naked pictures of children is illegal in all circumstances. It is an easier message for kids to understand than having complex rules about it.

It is better for the police to be able to talk tough and say it is a crime if you share pictures, rather than tell a 13 year old they are allowed to sent naked photos of themselves, as long as it is only to people their own age.

I would hope the police apply some common sense about which cases they pursue though, as they do with two nearly 16 year old's having consensual sex.

noblegiraffe · 13/10/2018 19:14

Two nearly 16 year olds having consensual sex is between those two nearly 16 year olds.

Naked pictures taken on a mobile phone, probably automatically saved to the cloud, and sent to another phone? The whole world could end up seeing them. Ask Jennifer Lawrence.

Naked pictures of children taken for sexual purposes should not be allowed to exist at all.

UserName31456789 · 13/10/2018 19:21

While I agree that naked pictures of children shouldn't be taken. There is a massive difference in intention between a 15 year old having naked pictures of themselves or another 15 year old and a 40 year old taking pictures of 12 year olds. The former is very unwise - the 15 year old is putting themselves in a vulnerable position but the latter is abusive.

AmazingGrace16 · 13/10/2018 19:30

And also if the parent owns the contract of the phone they could also be charged with possession of indecent images.
A lot of schools do try and impress this on kids but I agree I'm not sure it's as clear as it could be.

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