Is sexting illegal in the UK?
No. Sexting between two consenting adults (18 or over) is legal everywhere in the UK. It is a crime to make, send or keep sexual images of anyone under 18, to send sexual images to someone who hasn't agreed to receive them, or to share or threaten to share someone's intimate images without their consent.
The UK rules at a glance
| Issue | England and Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sexting between adults | Legal | Legal | Legal |
| Images of under-18s | Illegal (Protection of Children Act 1978) | Illegal (Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982) | Illegal (Protection of Children (NI) Order 1978) |
| Cyberflashing | Specific offence since 31 Jan 2024, up to 2 years | Covered since 2010 by the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 | Specific offence since 2022 |
| Sharing intimate images without consent | Offence even without intent to harm (since 2024) | Offence, up to 5 years | Offence, up to 2 years |
| Threatening to share | Offence | Offence | Offence |
| Creating a deepfake nude | Offence since 6 Feb 2026, even if not shared | Sharing is an offence. Creation is under consultation | Proposed |
Read the full guides: England and Wales · Scotland · Northern Ireland.
What adults can legally do
Legal
- Flirty or explicit messages with another adult who is into it
- Sending your own nudes to an adult who has asked for or agreed to them
- Keeping images that someone sent you willingly, for your own private use
- Using adult sexting and dating sites, if you are 18+
Illegal
- Any sexual image of a person under 18, including a selfie a 16 or 17-year-old took
- Sending a picture of genitals to someone who didn't agree to it
- Showing, forwarding or posting someone's nudes without their consent
- Threatening to share images, or demanding money or more photos
- Creating fake nudes of a real person (England and Wales)
The age of consent is 16, but nudes must be 18+
There is a very narrow defence for 16 and 17-year-olds who are married, in a civil partnership or living together as partners, where the image stays between the two of them. It almost never applies, so don't rely on it.
Police across the UK follow guidance that aims not to criminalise young people for consensual sexting between peers. But adults who ask under-18s for images, and anyone who shares images of young people, are treated very seriously. For help removing an image of someone under 18, use Childline's Report Remove.
What changed recently
- 31 January 2024: The Online Safety Act 2023 created the cyberflashing offence and a broader intimate image offence in England and Wales. Since then, sharing someone's intimate image without consent has been a crime even if you didn't mean to cause distress.
- 6 February 2026: Creating, or asking someone to create, a sexually explicit deepfake of an adult without consent became an offence in England and Wales (Data (Use and Access) Act 2025).
- 29 April 2026: The Crime and Policing Act 2026 became law. It adds offences around taking intimate images without consent, capturing disappearing images, "nudify" app tools and strangulation pornography, and requires platforms to remove reported intimate images within 48 hours. These provisions are being brought into force in stages.
- Online Safety Act duties: Platforms operating in the UK must now treat intimate image abuse and cyberflashing as priority illegal content, and adult sites must use effective age checks.
Other laws that can apply to sexting
- Blackmail: demanding money or anything else with threats is blackmail, which carries up to 14 years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland treats it as extortion.
- Harassment and stalking: repeated unwanted sexual messages can be harassment, even without images.
- Threatening or grossly offensive messages: the communications offences in the Online Safety Act 2023 (England and Wales) and similar laws elsewhere.
- Extreme pornography: having certain types of extreme images (for example, of bestiality or serious violence) is illegal even if everyone involved is an adult and consented.
- Voyeurism and upskirting: recording someone in a private or intimate situation without consent.
Frequently asked questions
Is it illegal to send nudes in the UK?
Not if you are 18 or over and the person receiving them is an adult who wants them. It is illegal if anyone in the image is under 18, or if the recipient hasn't agreed to receive it.
Is it illegal to send a dick pic in the UK?
Sending an unsolicited picture of genitals is cyberflashing. It is a crime in all parts of the UK and can carry up to 2 years in prison in England and Wales. Sending one to someone who has clearly asked for it is not a crime. See cyberflashing explained.
Is revenge porn illegal in the UK?
Yes. Sharing, or threatening to share, someone's intimate images without their consent is a crime in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. See intimate image abuse.
Can you go on the sex offenders register for sexting?
Yes, for some offences. Convictions for indecent images of children, and for cyberflashing or sharing intimate images for sexual gratification, can lead to notification requirements.
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.