Possessing pornography depicting strangulation or incest becomes an offence in England and Wales from 6 November
New offences under the Crime and Policing Act 2026 cover possession and publication of explicit, realistic images in three categories, with maximum penalties of up to three years for possession and five years for publication. Official guidance tells anyone holding covered material to delete it before the offences begin.
From 6 November 2026 it will be a criminal offence in England and Wales to possess or publish pornographic images that explicitly and realistically depict strangulation or suffocation, penetrative sexual activity between certain relatives, or sexual activity involving a person who is, or is pretending to be, under 16, official guidance published by the Government confirms.
The offences, under the Crime and Policing Act 2026, cover only material showing people who appear to a reasonable person to be real. The relatives category includes close family relationships and certain step and foster relationships where one person is, or is pretending to be, under 18. Publication includes uploading, posting, sending, sharing or otherwise making an image available to another person.
The maximum penalty for possession is two years in prison for material depicting strangulation, suffocation or penetrative sex between certain relatives, and three years for material involving a person who is, or is pretending to be, under 16. The maximum penalty for publication is five years for all of the offences. Defences include having a legitimate reason, not having seen the image and having no cause to suspect it was covered, and, for possession, having been sent the image unsolicited and not keeping it for an unreasonable length of time.
If you've got this material, delete it. If you're sharing it, stop.Alex Davies-Jones, Justice minister, October 2026
Because possession is a continuing act, the guidance tells anyone who already holds covered material to delete it permanently, and anyone continuing to publish such material to remove it, before 6 November to avoid committing an offence once the law begins.
The measures follow the independent review of pornography regulation led by Conservative peer Baroness Gabby Bertin, published in February 2025, which found depictions of choking were widespread on popular sites and raised concerns about their influence, particularly on young people. Bertin said the changes came not a moment too soon and would send a clear signal about violent content. Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones said the law was not about criminalising harmless sexual preferences, but warned that pornography can shape what people, especially young people, think a healthy relationship looks like.
Non-fatal strangulation carried out without consent is already a criminal offence. The new law extends the criminal law to the possession and publication of the qualifying images themselves.
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