In short
Adults can legally sext each other. The main offences are: images of anyone under 18; cyberflashing (unsolicited genital images); sharing or threatening to share an intimate image without consent; and, since February 2026, creating a sexual deepfake of a real adult without consent.
1. Cyberflashing
What it covers: sending a photo or video of genitals (yours or anyone's) to someone, intending to cause them alarm, distress or humiliation, or for your own sexual gratification while not caring whether it upsets them.
Maximum penalty: 2 years in prison. You can also be placed on the sex offenders register.
It doesn't matter how you send it: text, AirDrop, Bluetooth, WhatsApp, a dating app or social media all count. "I thought they'd like it" is not a defence if you had no reason to think they had agreed. Ask first. Full guide: cyberflashing explained.
2. Sharing intimate images without consent
What it covers: sharing a photo or video that shows, or appears to show, another person in an intimate state, without their consent and without a reasonable belief that they consented.
| Offence | Maximum penalty |
|---|---|
| Sharing without consent (no intent needed) | 6 months |
| Sharing to cause alarm, distress or humiliation | 2 years |
| Sharing for sexual gratification | 2 years, and possible sex offender notification |
| Threatening to share | 2 years |
"Intimate" includes nudity, partial nudity, sexual activity and toileting. "Appears to show" means sharing a faked or AI-generated image of a real person is covered too. A threat is an offence even if the image doesn't exist. Full guide: intimate image abuse.
3. Creating sexual deepfakes
What it covers: creating, or asking someone else to create, an image that appears to show a real adult in an intimate state, without their consent. This is an offence even if the image is never shared.
The Crime and Policing Act 2026 goes further. It makes it an offence to make, adapt or supply "nudification" tools designed to generate these images. See deepfakes and nudify apps.
4. Images of under-18s
Maximum penalty: 10 years for making or distributing, 5 years for possession.
"Making" includes saving, downloading or screenshotting an image, and opening one in a way that creates a copy on your device. These laws apply even if the person in the image is 16 or 17, or took the picture themselves.
What happens when teenagers sext each other?
Police have an option called "Outcome 21", which lets them record that a crime happened without taking further action when prosecution isn't in the public interest. It is commonly used for consensual image sharing between young people of a similar age. Schools follow national guidance on handling these incidents without automatically involving the police. None of this applies to adults who ask for, keep or share images of under-18s.
It is also a separate offence for an adult to send sexual images or messages to a child under 16 (sexual communication with a child, section 15A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003).
5. Taking images without consent, and capturing disappearing images
Voyeurism and upskirting have been crimes for years. The Crime and Policing Act 2026 adds offences for taking or recording an intimate image without consent, and for capturing an intimate image that was sent on a "view once" or time-limited basis without the sender's permission. These provisions are being brought into force in stages, so check the current position if this applies to you.
6. Blackmail, threats and harassment
- Blackmail (Theft Act 1968, s.21): demanding money, more images or anything else with menaces. Up to 14 years. This is the main charge in sextortion cases.
- Harassment and stalking (Protection from Harassment Act 1997): a pattern of unwanted sexual messages.
- Threatening communications (Online Safety Act 2023, s.181): messages threatening death or serious harm.
- Controlling or coercive behaviour (Serious Crime Act 2015, s.76): pressuring a partner into sexting, or using images to control them.
7. Extreme pornography
Under section 63 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, it is illegal to have extreme pornographic images. This includes realistic depictions of acts threatening a person's life, serious injury to the breasts, anus or genitals, bestiality, necrophilia, and non-consensual penetration. It applies even if the people involved are consenting adults. The Crime and Policing Act 2026 adds depictions of strangulation or suffocation. Don't send or keep this kind of material.
Platforms' duties
Under the Online Safety Act 2023, platforms must proactively deal with intimate image abuse and cyberflashing. The Crime and Policing Act 2026 adds a duty to remove reported non-consensual intimate images within 48 hours. If a platform ignores your report, you can complain to Ofcom.
Where to report in England and Wales
- Police: 101, or 999 in an emergency, or report online through your local force
- Revenge Porn Helpline: 0345 6000 459 (adults)
- CEOP: ceop.police.uk if a child is being targeted
- Report Fraud (replaced Action Fraud in December 2025): 0300 123 2040, for financial sextortion and scams
Need help right now?
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999 (UK), 112 (Ireland/EU), 911 (US/Canada) or 000 (Australia).
- Images shared or threatened (adults, UK): Revenge Porn Helpline, revengepornhelpline.org.uk or 0345 6000 459
- Stop images spreading (worldwide, adults): StopNCII.org
- Under 18: Childline's Report Remove tool at childline.org.uk or call 0800 1111. Outside the UK: Take It Down
- More countries and services: see our help and support directory
This is general information, not legal advice. Laws change and depend on the facts of each case. We last checked this page on 9 November 2026. If you are facing a police investigation or court case, speak to a solicitor or lawyer where you live.