A ban on making fake pornographic images of real people should be added to new laws banning upskirting, a legal expert has claimed.
The Government scramble to make upskirting illegal is a chance to ‘future-proof’ sexual offences law, law professor Clare McGlynn said.
Theresa May has confirmed the Government will take on a campaign to outlaw the practice of people taking photographs up under other’s people’s clothes.
A Government version of the upskirting law will be launched in Parliament today ahead of a debate and vote in the coming weeks.
The move comes after Tory MP Christopher Chope sparked fury by blocking an attempt to legislate for the ban from the backbenches.
Theresa May (pictured in PMQs yesterday) told MPs the Government Bill to criminalise the ‘hideous’ practice will go to the Commons today. She is facing calls to expand the new laws
Ms McGlynn, a professor at Durham University expert in the regulation of pornographic images, told the Guardian the Government decision to stop the row by adopting the draft law created an opportunity to tackle so-called ‘deepfake’ pornography.
City worker who faked images jailed using harassment laws
Davide Buccheri, 25, was jailed for 16 weeks in May
A City worker who posted fake photos of an intern on porn websites after she refused his advances was jailed for 16 weeks last month.
Davide Buccheri, 25, was working for investment management company M&G as a fund manager’s assistant when he targeted 22-year-old Rebecca Baker.
Buccheri took photos from his victim’s social media and edited her face onto pornographic pictures of other women between September 2016 and May 2017.
He then told the woman’s bosses about the photos to discredit her.
Prosecutors had to use harassment laws to make their case because faking images is not itself a crime.
She said: ‘The upskirting bill is a welcome first step towards a more comprehensive response to image-based sexual abuse.
‘But when a government tries to legislate on something quickly there is a risk that an opportunity to have a proper look at the problems raised by new technology is missed.’
She added: ‘It would be easy to extend the bill so that it covers images which have been altered too and clearly criminalise a practice that victims say they find incredibly distressing.’
Manufacturing fake pornographic images can already fall foul of harassment laws but legal experts believe it would be easier to prosecute if a specific offence was created.
City worker Davide Buccheri was jailed for 16 weeks last month after he took photos from his victim’s social media and uploaded them alongside pornographic pictures of other women.
Speaking in PMQ’s yesterday, Mrs May confirmed the Government was taking on the upskirting campaign.
She said: ‘Upskirting is a hideous invasion of privacy.
‘It leaves victims feeling degraded and distressed.
‘We will adopt this as a Government Bill, we will introduce the Bill this Thursday with a second reading before the summer recess.
‘But we are not stopping there. We will also ensure that the most serious offenders are added to the sex offenders register, and victims will be in no doubt their complaints will be taken very seriously and perpetrators will be punished.’
The move means that offenders found guilty of the lewd crime will be blocked from taking on some caring jobs.
Sir Christopher Chope (pictured in the Commons last Friday) shouted ‘object’ when the draft law was raised in the Commons yesterday, slamming the brakes on the attempt
It comes after it was confirmed that men wearing kilts will also be protected under the new law.
Theresa May unable to say why she gave Sir Christopher Chope a knighthood
The PM was challenged about why she gave the Tory MP the honour on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show today.
Theresa May was unable to say why she handed Sir Christopher Chope a knighthood – despite his opposition to a string of Bills with popular support.
The PM was challenged about why she gave the Tory MP the honour on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show today.
But asked three times why he was bestowed with the title she was unable to say why.
She said: ‘Christopher Chope has been a long-standing Member of Parliament.
‘What is important is how we respond to the legislation that was going to be there.
‘Because the concern is not the issue of an individual, the concern is about are we going to ensure that something that is offensive to people, that is invasive of people’s privacy, are we going to ensure that action is taken about that?
‘Yes we are.’
Sir Christopher sparked a storm of criticism for objecting to a Bill which makes taking photographs up someone’s skirt a specific criminal offence.
Tory MPs joined campaigners in queing up to condemn him.
And the Government has now vowed to take up the Bill and bring in the offence itself.
Baroness Vere of Norbiton, speaking for the Government in the Lords, said it would protect the ‘bodily dignity’ of both men and women.
Sir Christopher faced a barrage of criticism from campaigners, MPs and members of the public up and down the country after he single-handedy derailed an MP’s Bill to criminalise upskirting.
His critics showed their anger by covering his offices in his constituency in Dorset and the House of Commons Commons in women’s knickers as a protest.
His office door was blocked by ‘knicker bunting’ while a pair of suspenders had been torn down onto the floor.
Sir Christopher has desperately sought to defend himself and insisted he fully supports the ban.
He insisted that he is not a ‘pervert’ or a ‘dinosaur’ but objected to the Bill progressing because he feels it is important for MPs to debate issues fully.
He broke his silence on the issue after days of fierce criticism as campaigners and MPs – including the Prime Minister – slammed him for blocking the Bill.
In an interview with his local newspaper, he said he agrees that upskirting is ‘vulgar, humiliating and unacceptable’.
He told the Bournemouth Echo: ‘I feel a bit sore about being scapegoated over this.
‘The suggestion that I am some kind of pervert is a complete travesty of the truth.
‘It’s defamatory of my character and it’s very depressing some of my colleagues have been perpetuating that in the past 48 hours.’
The MP for Christchurch in Dorset, added: ‘I am not a dinosaur. I am very much alive and kicking.’
And he hit out at his fellow Tory MPs for publicly cirticising him.
He said: ‘None of them phoned me up to ask me to explain my actions.
‘Why would they want to humiliate one of their own colleagues?
‘Hopefully when this does get into the statute book, they will accept I was right but maybe that’s asking for the moon.’
Sir Christopher Chope, who is at the centre of the upskirting row, has had his Commons office covered in women’s knickers (pictured) as a protest against his block on the proposed law