An increase in incidents of revenge porn associated with a general rise in reported sexual offences is "worrisome," according to a helpline director.
According to a report from the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, reported sexual offences in the Northumbria Police jurisdiction increased by 16%, from 5,073 to 5,865, between May 2024 and May 2025.
This increase has been partially attributed to changes in legislation aimed at addressing revenge porn and the unlawful distribution of images.
Sophie Mortimer, the manager of the Revenge Porn Helpline, stated that while it is positive that more individuals are coming forward, it is "disheartening" that it has taken such a long time for this crime to be regarded seriously.
Revenge porn refers to the distribution of private, sexual photographs or videos of another individual without their consent, intended to cause humiliation or distress.
'Horrific abuse'
Ms. Mortimer remarked: "It is troubling to observe an uptick in reports of intimate image abuse, although it mirrors the increase in reports received by the Revenge Porn Helpline.
"While it is reassuring that the police in Northumbria are giving more attention to this issue, and that victims are feeling empowered to report it, it has been a criminal offense to disseminate such images since 2015, and to threaten to share them since 2021."
She noted that the Online Safety Act has revised the legislation, but expressed disappointment that it has taken a decade for victims of this appalling abuse to be taken seriously.
A detailed analysis of the statistics reveals a 48% rise in "other sexual crimes," amounting to 437 cases, which have been linked to new crime codes introduced in the Online Offences Act 2023 concerning the sharing and threatening to share sexual images of another individual.
National statistics from the Revenge Porn Helpline also indicate a 20.9% rise in reports of image abuse throughout 2024, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)