Children Aged 11 Are Victims Of Revenge Porn

Children as young as 11 have fallen victim to so-called revenge porn, according to the latest police figures.

The online trend which involves explicit images of the victim being posted online is on the increase, with schoolgirls among those targeted.

Hazel Higgleton was 24 when she discovered a video of her and her ex-boyfriend had been posted on the internet after their relationship broke down.

She told Sky News: “I was with a guy I thought I was in love with and he told me he loved me, and before everything started getting really bad he convinced me to film stuff.

“I was a bit hesitant as you would be because it was a new thing and I wasn’t sure about it, but I went ahead anyway because I loved him.

“I never thought it would get out or anything like that. In fact, I just forgot about the whole video. But then he told me he had put it out there … It was awful.”

Hazel is among those who would like to see a change in the law to ensure people who post pictures without the victim’s consent can be brought to justice.

Of 149 cases reported since 2012 to the eight police forces in England and Wales who keep data on revenge porn allegations, only six resulted in a police caution or charge.

Police are largely powerless to prosecute those responsible, but new laws are currently being debated to make revenge porn a crime.

Clare Laxton from Women’s Aid told Sky News: “What is needed is clarification of the law and making sure that frontline services such as police and also women and other people who may be affected are aware that there is a law out there they can use.

“I think inevitably with the rise of social media usage and internet usage this is a growing problem.”

In response to a Freedom of Information request by the Press Association, Greater Manchester Police revealed the youngest victim it had dealt with was a girl aged 11.

In another case in Cambridge a taxi driver blackmailed a passenger into having sex after discovering naked images of her.

Although most cases involved young females, a man is also said to have been forced into having gay sex through fear a woman would post naked photos of him online.

Concerns around revenge porn and “sexting”, where compromising pictures are send via text messages, have led some schools to make time for lessons warning pupils of the dangers.

At Wright Robinson College in Manchester all year 11 pupils are taught about issues they might face online.

Deputy headteacher Martin Haworth told Sky News: “The message is always the same – be very clear before you make any type of action in relation to sending messages or posting pictures, things that you do now will affect you in later life.”

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Children Aged 11 Are Victims Of Revenge Porn