Redress for sexual deepfake abuse

The legal position in outline

Intimate-image abuse covers a range of conduct, and the law in England and Wales now treats several distinct things as criminal offences. It matters which category your situation falls into, because the offence, the evidence needed, and the remedies differ.

Broadly, the law now criminalises:

1. Sharing an intimate image without consent.
2. Threatening to share an intimate image.
3. Taking an intimate image without consent, and installing equipment to do so.
4. Creating a sexually explicit or intimate deepfake (“purported intimate image”) without consent.

The first three come from amendments made to the Sexual Offences Act 2003 by the Online Safety Act 2023. The fourth is a newer offence introduced through the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, which specifically targets the creation of fake but realistic intimate images.

Sharing and threatening to share intimate images

Since the Online Safety Act 2023 amended the Sexual Offences Act 2003, it is an offence to share, or threaten to share, an intimate photograph or film of another person without their consent. “Intimate” includes images showing a person nude or partially nude, doing something sexual, or in a state that a reasonable person would consider intimate.

Importantly, this framework already covers deepfakes and other manipulated or altered images that appear to show a real person in an intimate state. So if someone has made a fake explicit image of a student and then sent it to others or posted it online, the sharing itself is very likely already an offence, regardless of whether the image is genuine.

There are different versions of the offence depending on the intent involved. A “base” sharing offence can be committed simply by sharing without consent and without a reasonable belief in consent. More serious versions apply where the person shared the image intending to cause distress, alarm or humiliation, or for sexual gratification. The threat to share is a separate offence and does not require the person to actually possess a genuine image.

The deepfake creation offence

The creation of sexually explicit deepfakes is addressed by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, which introduces an offence of creating, or requesting the creation of, a “purported intimate image” of an adult. In simple terms, a person commits an offence where they intentionally create an image that appears to show another identifiable person in an intimate state, that person does not consent, and the creator does not reasonably believe there is consent.

This closes a gap that existed previously. Until this change, it was an offence to share or threaten to share a deepfake but, on its own, not clearly an offence merely to make one. The new offence means the act of generating the fake image can itself be pursued, even before any sharing takes place.

You should be aware that the exact commencement and operational detail of the newest creation offence can depend on when the relevant provisions are brought fully into force, so if this is central to your situation it is worth confirming the current position at the time you report.

Other offences that may apply

Depending on the facts, other criminal offences may also be in play and can strengthen a complaint to the police:

Harassment under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, where the conduct forms part of a course of conduct causing alarm or distress.

Malicious communications and offences under the Communications Act 2003, where messages or images are grossly offensive or sent to cause distress or anxiety.

Blackmail, where someone demands money, images or other things in return for not sharing an image.

If the person depicted is under 18, the situation is treated far more seriously and falls under child sexual abuse image law, which is a distinct and very serious area. Creating, possessing or sharing sexual images of anyone under 18, including fake or AI-generated ones, is a serious criminal offence regardless of the ages of those involved. If this applies, it should be reported to the police immediately.

Do not accept a label without checking the facts

Before treating something as one of these offences it is worth being precise about what actually happened, because the right route depends on it. For example, an image that is genuinely of someone and was shared is a different offence from a fabricated image; a single unwanted disclosure is different from a repeated course of harassing conduct; and a demand attached to a threat may amount to blackmail rather than a simple threat to share. Getting this clear early helps the police and any university process respond correctly and helps you gather the right evidence.

Getting the image removed quickly

Removal and criminal justice are separate tracks, and you can pursue both at once. For getting content taken down:

The Revenge Porn Helpline is a specialist, confidential service for adults in England and Wales affected by intimate-image abuse. It helps with reporting to platforms and getting content removed, and it has established relationships with the major sites.

StopNCII.org allows an adult to create a digital “hash” of an intimate image on their own device, which participating platforms use to detect and block matching images without the image itself ever being uploaded or seen by anyone. This can help prevent an image being posted or reposted.

Most major platforms and search engines have dedicated reporting routes for non-consensual intimate images, including manipulated and AI-generated ones, and are generally quick to remove this material once reported.

If the person depicted is under 18, use Report Remove, run by Childline and the Internet Watch Foundation, rather than the adult services.

Act quickly and preserve evidence before anything is taken down, because once content is removed it can be harder to obtain later.

Preserving evidence

Whatever route you choose, gather and keep evidence in a safe place before it disappears:

1. Screenshots showing the image, the account or profile that posted or sent it, the date and time, and any URL or web address.
2. Copies of any messages, threats or demands, kept in their original form where possible.
3. A note of who has seen or received the material and how you became aware of it.
4. Any information pointing to who created or shared it.

Try to avoid editing the material and keep original files and metadata where you can, as this helps both the police and any platform or university process.

Reporting to the police

You can report to the police by calling 101, reporting online, or dialling 999 if you are in immediate danger or a threat is ongoing. Ask for the offences to be recorded and request a crime reference number. You can ask to speak to a specialist officer, and you can take a trusted person with you or to any interview.

As a complainant in a sexual offence of this kind, you are generally entitled to lifelong anonymity, meaning your identity should not be published. You can also ask about special measures if a case reaches court, such as giving evidence from behind a screen or by video link.

University routes for students

If the person responsible is another student, or the abuse is connected to your studies or student accommodation, your university’s own disciplinary and harassment procedures are an important additional route, and they operate independently of the police. A university can act on its own student conduct rules even where no criminal charge is brought, and the standard of proof it applies is lower than the criminal standard.

Look at your institution’s student code of conduct, its sexual misconduct or harassment policy, and its complaints procedure, which are authoritative for how that university will handle the matter. Most universities now have a report-and-support system, a dedicated harassment or sexual violence adviser, and interim measures such as no-contact arrangements, changes to timetables or accommodation moves while a complaint is investigated. Students’ union advice services and the university wellbeing or counselling team can support you through this.

If you are unhappy with how the university handles your complaint and you have exhausted its internal process, you can escalate to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education, which reviews student complaints against higher education providers.

Civil remedies

Alongside or instead of criminal action, civil law can offer practical protection and redress:

An injunction can be sought to stop someone sharing or threatening to share images, and to require deletion. This can be based on misuse of private information, breach of confidence, harassment or data protection grounds.

A claim in the tort of misuse of private information can lead to damages and orders for delivery-up or destruction of images.

A civil claim under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 can provide both an injunction and damages where there is a course of conduct.

Data protection law may also assist, since intimate images are highly sensitive personal data; you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office about unlawful processing and, in some cases, bring a claim.

Civil action can be fast where urgent removal or a restraining-type order is needed, but it can be costly and stressful, and enforceability depends on being able to identify and locate the person responsible. It is often most useful where the identity is known and the priority is stopping ongoing or threatened publication.

Suggested order of steps

1. Preserve evidence immediately, before anything is removed.
2. Use StopNCII and platform reporting tools, and contact the Revenge Porn Helpline, to get the content blocked or taken down.
3. Report to the police, obtain a crime reference number, and ask about anonymity and support.
4. Trigger your university’s report-and-support and disciplinary process if a student or your studies are involved, and ask for interim protective measures.
5. Consider civil remedies such as an injunction or a data protection complaint where the person is identifiable and you need to stop ongoing or threatened sharing.
6. Look after your wellbeing and use victim support services, which can help throughout.

Key missing facts that affect the answer

The best route depends on several things it would help to pin down: whether the image is genuine or a deepfake; whether it has actually been shared or only threatened or created; whether the person depicted is over or under 18; whether you know who is responsible and whether they are a fellow student; whether there is any demand or blackmail attached; and how recently it happened. If you can set out those details, the response can be tailored much more precisely, particularly on which offences apply and whether the newest deepfake creation provisions are the right basis for a police report at this time.

Support services

The Revenge Porn Helpline and StopNCII for removal and blocking, Victim Support for practical and emotional help, and your university wellbeing and students’ union advice services are all good starting points, and are free and confidential.