Legal issues
The alleged date matters because older conduct may fall under the repealed section 33 Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 rather than the newer Sexual Offences Act regime. Current law also contains exemptions and defences under sections 66B, 66C and 66J that must be considered against the precise conduct alleged.
In a threat case, the prosecution does not need to prove that the threatened image actually exists. In deepfake cases, the legal issue is not whether the image is a genuine photograph, but whether it satisfies the statutory definition of a purported intimate image.
Evidence that matters
Evidence can include the image or file itself, metadata, platform records, device extraction, account attribution, IP or login material, complete message threads, cloud records, screenshots, witnesses and evidence of consent or previous sharing.
Reasonable lines of enquiry
Reasonable enquiries may include preserving platform data, testing device or account attribution, examining metadata, identifying who created or first uploaded material, obtaining complete communications and testing any claimed consent, prior public sharing or statutory exemption.
What happens next
Investigations may involve seizure and examination of phones, computers, cloud accounts and social-media records. Charge selection is date-sensitive because the intimate-image framework changed in 2024 and again in 2026.
Immediate steps
Do not delete images, messages, cloud material or account history. Preserve original files and complete threads. Do not re-share material merely to prove that it exists; obtain legal advice on the safest way to preserve and provide evidence.
What should you send us?
Send the allegation or charge, police/bail papers, next date, relevant complete communications, platform/account details, device information, metadata or screenshots and a concise chronology.