UK imposes 5-year jail term for possession of pornography contents

The United Kingdom has officially criminalised the possession and publication of pornographic materials depicting sexual strangulation, incest, and sexual activities involving individuals portrayed as being under the age of 16.

The law which took effect on Friday, November 6, is targeted to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.

The legal provisions were introduced through sections 104, 106, and 107 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026. This legislation amends the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 to impose severe penalties on the distribution and possession of extremely harmful pornographic images.

The publication of any of the prohibited materials, under the new regulatory framework, carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Possession of pornography depicting strangulation, suffocation, or incestuous penetrative sexual activity attracts up to a two-year jail term, while possessing content portraying underage sexual activity carries a maximum three-year sentence.

A circular issued by the Ministry of Justice’s Criminal Law Policy Unit explained that the measures were prompted by the February 2025 Independent Pornography Review by Baroness Bertin, revealing that specific forms of pornography dangerously influence real-world sexual behaviour.

“The Government recognises that pornography depicting strangulation is rife online and evidence suggests strangulation in sex is becoming more commonplace in real life, particularly among young people who may be unaware of the serious harm it can cause”.

The Ministry of Justice stated that the consumption of such materials risk normalising child sexual abuse. Section 106 also criminalises explicit and realistic penetrative sexual activity between people who appear or pretend to be related, including parents, children, siblings, grandparents, and certain step or foster family relationships.

“Recognising the harms that some forms of pornography can have in shaping behaviours offline, we are criminalising the possession and publication of particularly egregious content,” the circular added.

Individuals may not be prosecuted if they received an image without requesting it and did not retain it for an unreasonable period, lacked prior knowledge of the content, or had a legitimate legal reason for possessing it.