Boy and girl both aged 12 are revealed to be two of the youngest victims of revenge porn as police say even care workers have been found guilty of the offence

  • Leicestershire Police has investigated 30 cases since legislation passed
  • Law concerns sharing intimate pictures online without the victims' consent
  • Women the victims in 23 of the cases, two of which resulted in cautions
  • The majority of perpetrators found to be former partners of the victims 

By Alexander Robertson For Mailonline

Published: 20:57 GMT, 23 May 2016 | Updated: 21:39 GMT, 23 May 2016

A boy and a girl aged 12 were two of the youngest victims of revenge pornography (stock image)

A boy and a girl aged 12 were two of the youngest victims of revenge pornography (stock image)

A boy and a girl aged 12 are two of the youngest victims of revenge pornography, police have revealed.

Leicestershire Police has investigated 30 cases since a new law was introduced to outlaw sharing of people's intimate pictures on social media sites without the victims' consent.

The force have revealed the youngest victims were a boy and a girl aged 12.

Women were the victims in 23 of the cases brought to the police's attention in the past 12 months. Two of the 30 cases resulted in the offender being cautioned.

Some remain under investigation, while others have been shelved because the victim did not want police to take any action, or because officers were unable to secure sufficient evidence.

The majority of perpetrators were former partners of the victims.

However, in two cases their relationship to the victims are described as a care worker, while another offence was committed by a member of the victim's family.

Police warned people not to share indecent images of themselves with anyone else, even if they believe they can trust them.

Detective Inspector Matt Ditcher said: 'People need to know if they choose to share images, particularly indecent ones, with anyone else, they no longer have any control over them.

'If the images are placed on the internet, they are there and they do not have a shelf life.

'However, it is an offence to disclose a private sexual image if the discourse is without the consent of those in the image and done with intent of causing that person distress.'

Children's charity NSPCC expressed 'shock' at the revelation that some victims were as young as 12.

A spokesman said: 'It is shocking children as young as 12 are becoming victims of revenge porn.

'The fact more than half of victims in Leicestershire were under 18 - and the majority of offences involved mainstream social media - high-lights the urgent need for action by these sites to improve

safety.

'Young people also need to be aware of the serious risks of sending explicit material or photos of themselves.

'Once an image is sent there is no control over where it will end up.'

The new criminal offence of revenge porn came into force a year ago. It means those who share private, sexual images of someone without consent and with the intent to cause distress will now face up to two years in prison. 

Leicestershire Police has investigated 30 cases, with the majority of perpetrators were former partners of the victims (stock image)

Leicestershire Police has investigated 30 cases, with the majority of perpetrators were former partners of the victims (stock image)

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