"England's First Cyberflashing Conviction Results in Over 5 Years in Prison"
Nicholas Hawkes, a convicted sex offender, has been sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison for sending unsolicited photos of his genitals, becoming the first person in England and Wales to be convicted under the Online Safety Act. The law, which came into effect on Jan. 31, makes it an offense to send unsolicited sexual images via social media, dating apps, or technologies such as Bluetooth or AirDrop. Hawkes had previously been on the sex offenders registry and pleaded guilty to breaching a community order and suspended sentence for an earlier offense.