UK Criminalises Possession of Certain Porn Images Today as New Law Targets Strangulation and Incest Content

People in England and Wales could face prison sentences for keeping or sharing certain pornographic images from today, as a new law criminalising material depicting strangulation, suffocation and simulated incest comes into force.

The changes mean people with prohibited images saved on their phones, computers or online accounts must delete them or otherwise get rid of them. Sending an image privately can also count as publication, meaning the offence is not limited to people who upload material to pornography websites.

Under the Crime and Policing Act 2026, possessing images depicting strangulation, suffocation or certain incest-related activity carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison. Possession of images involving someone portrayed as under 16 carries up to three years, while publishing any of the prohibited material can lead to a five-year sentence.

Which Images Are Now Illegal?

The new offences cover pornographic images that explicitly and realistically show one person strangling or suffocating another. Ministry of Justice guidance says strangulation generally involves pressure on someone's neck, while suffocation involves depriving a person of air in a way that affects their ability to breathe.

The ban also covers images depicting penetrative sexual activity between people who appear to be related, or are presented as related, in specified ways. These include close family members, as well as certain step-family and foster relationships where one person is, or is portrayed as being, under 18.

A third category involves sexual activity between at least two people where one appears to be, or is pretending to be, under 16. This part of the law targets adults portraying children in sexual images. Material showing someone who is actually under 18 may already be covered by separate child sexual abuse image offences.

The images must appear to depict real people to a reasonable observer.

People Must Delete Existing Material

The new rules also affect images that were created or saved before today. The Ministry of Justice says possession is a continuing act, so anyone still holding prohibited material when the law takes effect could commit an offence.

That includes images kept in saved files, on personal devices or in cloud storage. The requirement also extends to material already shared or uploaded. Sending, posting, distributing or otherwise making an image available to another person can count as publication, even if it is not publicly accessible.

There are some statutory defences. These include having a legitimate reason to possess or publish an image, not knowing or having reason to suspect it was prohibited, and receiving material without requesting it and not keeping it for an unreasonable period. A defence may also apply to someone who directly took part in the activity depicted, provided the legal conditions are met.

Review Highlighted Concerns About Choking

The offences follow the Independent Pornography Review, led by Conservative peer Baroness Gabby Bertin and published in February 2025. The review raised concerns about the availability of pornography depicting strangulation and its potential influence on sexual behaviour.

Research by the Institute for Addressing Strangulation, based on a survey of 4,175 people aged 16 to 34, found that 43 per cent of sexually experienced 16- and 17-year-olds surveyed said they had been choked during sex.

The Government says the new offences are intended to tackle material it believes can make harmful or illegal sexual behaviour appear normal. The law applies in England and Wales, not Scotland or Northern Ireland.