February 27, 2025 | Incident and Crime Statistics , Sexual Offences
Request: FOI/13786
Category: Incident and Crime Statistics - Sexual Offences
Subject: Revenge Pornography
Your request for information has now been considered. In respect of Section 1(1)(a) of the Act we can confirm that the Police Service of Northern Ireland does hold information to which your request relates. The decision has been taken to disclose the following.
Request Details
Please could you provide us with the numbers in relation to the following information, for the period
31st January 2024 to 30th January 2025, concerning Disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress (including threats to disclose) under Section 51 of the Justice Act (2016) where the victim is aged 18 or older:
Request 1
Reported cases
Answer 1
Between 31st January 2024 and 31st December 2024 there were 78 crimes recorded by the police for the offences of “Disclosing private sexual photographs and film with intent to cause distress” and “Threatening to Disclose Private Sexual Images” under S51 of the Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 where the victim was aged 18+.
Please note:
- Figures provided are for the period 31st January 2024 to 31st December 2024. Figures for 1st to 30th January 2025 can be provided once the police recorded crime monthly update to 31st January 2025 is published on 27th February 2025.
- The figure of 78 crimes represents the number of crimes recorded by police as directed by the Home Office Guidance for Crime Recording, and not the number of reports made to police. Where a single report made to police includes a number of offences against the same victim, the guidance stipulates that, generally speaking, only the most serious offence against each victim will be recorded/included in the police recorded crime figures. For example where a victim makes a report of ‘grievous bodily harm’ and also ‘disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress’, only the grievous bodily harm offence will be recorded for inclusion in the police recorded crime figures – the disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress would not be recorded and would therefore not form part of this response.
- Figures for offences recorded from 1st April 2024 are subject to ongoing validation and quality assurance processes until publication in May 2025; annual revisions to previously published financial year figures may also be applied at this time.
Request 2
Arrests
Answer 2
Between 31st January 2024 and 31st December 2024 there were 73 persons arrested and processed through custody for at least one offence of “Disclosing private sexual photographs and film with intent to cause distress” or “Threatening to Disclose Private Sexual Images”.
Please note:
- Figures provided are for the period 31st January 2024 to 31st December 2024. Figures for 1st to 30th January 2025 can be provided once the police recorded crime monthly update to 31st January 2025 is published on 27th February 2025.
- These arrest figures are based on date of arrest and may not relate to crimes identified in Q1.
- These are all arrests for these offences during this time period, regardless of victim age.
Request 3
Outcomes:
No further action (with further detail, if possible)
Charges
Other resolutions
If possible, please could you provide this information in CSV format?
Answer 3
The outcomes that have since been assigned to the 78 crimes identified for Request 1 are:
7 charge or summons
2 cautions
34 no prosecution, evidential difficulties
9 investigation complete, no suspect identified
1 other agency involved
25 crimes have not yet had an outcome assigned.
Please note that these outcome figures are subject to change as investigations may be ongoing.
If you have any queries regarding your request or the decision please do not hesitate to contact me at the e-mail address listed below. When contacting the Corporate Information Branch, please quote the reference number listed at the beginning of this letter.
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If, following an Internal Review carried out by an independent decision maker, you remain unhappy about how your request has been handled you have the right to apply in writing to the Information Commissioner, under Section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act, at ‘Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF. There are a number of other platforms you can use to contact the ICO and these can be found on the ICO’s website at the following link: Make a complaint | ICO (https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/).
In most circumstances, the Information Commissioner will not investigate a complaint unless an internal review procedure has been carried out however, the Commissioner has the option to investigate the matter at their discretion.
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Personal details in respect of your request have, where applicable, been removed to protect confidentiality.