Nicholas Hawkes, a 39-year-old convicted sex offender, has been sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison in England for cyberflashing, making him the first person in England and Wales to be convicted under the newly enacted Online Safety Act. He sent unsolicited photos of his genitals to a woman and a 15-year-old girl via messaging apps.
The court heard that Hawkes used his father's phone under the pretext of calling the probation office but instead sent the explicit images through WhatsApp and iMessage. Both recipients took screenshots and reported the incident to the police.
Cyberflashing, defined as sending unsolicited sexual images via social media, dating apps, or other technologies, is now a criminal offense under the Online Safety Act.
Hannah von Dadelszen, a deputy chief with the Crown Prosecution Service, emphasized the seriousness of cyberflashing, stating that it can have a lasting impact on victims and should not be dismissed as harmless behavior.
Hawkes admitted to the charges during an earlier hearing, acknowledging that he sent the images with the intent to cause alarm, distress, or humiliation. He was already on the sex offenders register due to a previous conviction for exposure and sexual activity with a minor.
Despite his defense lawyer's argument that Hawkes did not derive sexual gratification from his actions and that they stemmed from post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from a previous kidnapping and assault, Judge Samantha Leigh rejected this explanation. She described Hawkes as deeply disturbed and having a warped view of himself and his sexual desires.
