What the law says about sexual behaviour online

Here are some important laws about sex in the online world:

• It’s illegal for someone over 18 to meet with someone under 16, in order to have sex, after communicating with them online. (This is called “grooming”.)
• It’s illegal for anyone over 18 to talk sexually online with someone under 16. This can be by text, chatrooms, apps or any other online chat.
• It’s illegal to look at extreme pornography. This means pornography that includes:
  • extreme violence
  • acts that could kill someone
  • acts that result in serious injury to a person’s anus, breasts or genitals
  • bestiality
  • necrophilia
• It’s illegal to be involved in sexual activity online with anyone under 18. This includes sexual activities on webcam or live-streaming.
• It’s illegal to share sexual photos or videos of anyone who hasn’t agreed to it, or because you want to upset them. This is often called “revenge porn”.

What does the law say about sexual images of children and young people?

Sometimes, young people send sexual messages, pictures or videos.

You might have heard people calling these nudes or dick pics.

What you may not know is that it’s illegal to take, possess or distribute sexual pictures or videos of people under 18. This means that it is illegal to:

• take sexual photos / videos of someone under 18
• have (or possess) sexual photos or videos of someone under 18
• download or make a copy of sexual photos or videos of someone under 18
• share or distribute sexual photos or videos of someone under 18

This is true even if they’re pictures of you or of someone else who seemed happy to send them to you.

Illegal sexual images of under-18s include:

• real photos or videos of someone under 18 years old posing sexually:
  • nude
  • partially nude, such as being topless or in underwear
• or taking part in any type of sexual activity
• edited or fake photos or videos that make it look like someone under 18 is posing sexually, or taking part in any type of sexual activity
• computer-generated photos or videos or cartoons that make it look like someone under 18 is taking part in any type of sexual activity

Although sharing nudes is illegal, most of the time the police will not take action unless they think that any of the people involved are being harmed by the nudes being shared.

For more information on what to do if:

• you receive a nude
• you’ve sent someone else a sexual picture of yourself
• you’ve felt pressured to send one
• you have any other questions about sharing sexual images

please visit our page on what to do if you’ve shared a nude, or been sent one.

What to do if… You’ve shared a nude, or been sent one

If you take pictures or videos of yourself that are sexual, these are called nudes or sexual selfies. Learn what to do if you have shared a nude or if someone has sent you one.

Read more

You might also find it helpful to read some of our other what to do if… pages.

If anything on this page has upset you, please speak with someone you trust so you can get help and support.