mar 19, 2024 - Man Convicted of Cyber-Flashing

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A convicted paedophile who sent a picture of his erect penis to a 15-year-old girl has become the first person to be jailed for cyber-flashing in England and Wales.

Registered sex offender Nicholas Hawkes, 39, of Basildon, Essex, also sent unsolicited photos to a woman.

The woman took screenshots of the WhatsApp image sent on 9 February and reported it to police the same day.

Hawkes, who admitted two charges, has been jailed for just over 15 months.

The offence was brought in under the Online Safety Act and came into effect on 31 January. It has been an offence in Scotland, which has a separate legal system, for more than a decade.

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