BASINGSTOKE MP Maria Miller has welcomed a new law which will make it a criminal offence to upload sexually explicit images of former partners without their consent.

So-called “revenge pornography” is the uploading of sexually explicit images to the internet, without the consent of the person. It is designed to cause the victim distress or embarrassment.

Mrs Miller has been campaigning for a change in the law to protect victims, and to make the act a criminal offence as, before now, there was no law to protect the victims.

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has now announced that new legislation, which will make the posting of explicit images a criminal offence punishable by up to two years in prison, is to be introduced into the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill.

The bill is currently going through Parliament and will need to be approved by the House of Commons and House of Lords before becoming law.

Mr Grayling said: “The fact that there are individuals who are cruelly distributing intimate pictures of their former partners without their consent is almost beyond belief.

“We want those who fall victim to this type of disgusting behaviour to know that we are on their side and will do everything we can to bring offenders to justice.

“That is why we will change the law and make it absolutely clear to those who act in this way that they could face prison.”

There are currently an estimated 30 websites in the UK that are used by ex-partners to post intimate pictures of former partners and people who are the subject of images usually find that they are impossible to remove from the internet, as they are often reproduced on other websites within minutes.

Mrs Miller told The Gazette: “The Government has agreed that after a six month-long campaign, revenge pornography will be made a criminal offence. This is very good news.

“What I want to continue to ensure is that not only do we get a law which makes the posting of sexually explicit images, without consent, a criminal offence, but also support for victims from internet service providers as to where to go if it happens and how they can get it taken down.”