Question
Please provide a breakdown of how many people have been charged for the offence of ‘Disclosing private sexual photographs and film with intend to cause distress’ under Section 51(1) of the Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2016, in each of the years since 2020 broken down by gender.
Answer
Between 01 January 2020 and 30 September 2024, 65 persons1 have been charged with at least one offence of disclosing private sexual photographs and film with intent to cause distress, or threatening to disclose private sexual images. Of the 65 persons charged, 60 were male and 5 were female.
| Year | disclosing | threatening to disclose | disclosing or threatening to disclose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 9 | - | 9 |
| 2021 | 7 | - | 7 |
| 2022 | 15 | - | 15 |
| 2023 | 13 | 1 | 14 |
| 2024 to 30th September | 12 | 11 | 21 |
Notes:
Custody records where a person was charged with at least one offence of:
Disclosing private sexual photographs and film with intent to cause distress, Article 51(1) of the Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2016
Threatening to Disclose Private Sexual Images, Section 51 of the Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 as amended by the Justice (Sexual Offences and Trafficking Victims) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022. The extended provisions came into effect 27th November 2023.
Cheryl Brownlee MLA - DUP