Research link between indecent exposure and contact offending

Today I can confirm acceptance of all three of the recommendations made to the Government, which the Home Office will now work to deliver at pace. These recommendations are that the Home Office, in collaboration with partners, should conduct a fundamental review of the way masturbatory indecent exposure is treated within the criminal justice system; commission research to establish if there is an evidence-based link between masturbatory indecent exposure and subsequent offending; and launch a campaign to raise awareness that indecent exposure and sending unsolicited photographs of genitals amounts to criminality and boost victims' confidence to report such crimes.

The Government has undertaken research into the offending patterns of individuals suspected of committing non-contact sexual offences. An update on this work will be provided in due course.

The findings of the review have informed the development of research my Department is taking forward in response to recommendation 4 of the Angiolini Inquiry Part 1 Report. In addition to including a wider range of non-contact sexual offences (not just active masturbatory exposure offence) we are extending the scope of the research to explore whether patterns of offending are linked with prior or subsequent sexual offending. This is in response to the findings in the evidence review that the focus of research and investigations should shift from ‘escalation’ to ‘patterns of offending’.

1.18 Summary of progress: The Home Office is working with local police forces to gather information, not just on convicted sexual offenders but also on those who are known to the police, with or without a charge. Analysis of this information is set to be completed by the end of 2025.