13-year-old a victim of revenge porn attack
A 13-year-old was a victim of revenge porn in the West Midlands last year, according to new figures released by police.
The statistics show that from April to December 2015, 12 people were charged with offences relating to the sharing of revenge porn, involving victims aged from 13 to 23 years old.
A total of 10 offences took place in May last year.
The news follows a change in the law that took place in April last year that meant it became an offence to share private sexual photographs or films without the subject's consent.
Previously, convictions for revenge porn type of offences were made under copyright or harassment laws.
The data shows that six further defendants were cautioned following their offences, meaning a total of 18 people were involved in revenge porn offences in the West Midlands during a nine-month period last year.
Ben Reese, of the NSPCC, said: "It is shocking that children as young as 13 are becoming victims of revenge porn – and underlines the urgent need for action by social media 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 or who will see it."
The statistics, taken from an FOI request made to West Midlands police, show that all of the offences for which a defendant was charged relate to posts made on Facebook.
The images are often shared with the victim's name, address and links to profiles.
