Almost 40 reports of the sharing of intimate images made to gardaí

Intimate imagery abuse was criminalised under the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020, also known as Coco's Law. Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

Gardaí received 37 reports of suspected sharing of intimate images over just a six-month period under a new system the force has set up with an online industry watchdog.

Intimate imagery abuse involves sharing, or threatening to share, intimate images of a person without their consent.

It was criminalised under the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020, which also made “upskirting” an offence, defined as the recording of intimate images without the consent of the person being recorded.

This act, also known as  “Coco’s Law”, was commenced in February 2021.

In a statement to the Irish Examiner, Garda HQ said that on September 2 last it set up an online reporting system with Hotline.ie that “enables victims of intimate image abuse (IIA) to report this type of criminal activity to Gardaí, via the Hotline website, while simultaneously making a IIA content removal request”.

Gardaí said that between September 2 and February 24, 2022 they received 37 reports from Hotline.ie.

“Following the removal of the reported links by Hotline.ie and further engagement by An Garda Síochána, 16 cases had been closed with no further action requested and 21 cases remain under assessment/ investigation,” the statement said.

These cases are separate to the 28 prosecutions — where charges have been brought or summonses issued — for IIA and upskirting under Coco’s Law.

The act was named after 21-year-old Nicole ‘Coco’ Fox, who took her own life after years of online harassment from bullies.

Gardaí said the law was still relatively new and expect the number of reports and prosecutions to increase over time.

Separate garda figures show that the number of blackmail cases involving a “threat to reveal intimate images” increased by 85% in 2021, with indications suggesting the bulk of victims are young males.

The garda statement follows the sentencing this month of convicted Scottish sex offender Paul Boyle of “industrial” levels of upskirting of school girls and women on and near the Luas and in the workplace.