Exposure (Section 66 Sexual Offences Act 2003)

Exposure is an offence under s.66 Sexual Offences Act 2003. A person (A) who intentionally exposes A's genitals commits the offence if A intends that someone will see the genitals and be caused alarm, distress or humiliation, or A exposes the genitals for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification and does so with the intention that someone will see them and being reckless as to whether someone who sees them will be caused alarm, distress or humiliation (s.66(1)). Where A intends only that a particular person or persons will see the genitals, the sexual gratification limb applies only if A is reckless as to whether that person, or at least one of those persons, will be caused alarm, distress or humiliation (s.66(1A)). Subsections (1) and (1A) were substituted for the former s.66(1) on 29 September 2026 by s.113 Crime and Policing Act 2026. Maximum sentence: on summary conviction, imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or both; on conviction on indictment, imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years (s.66(2)).

In practice

This is an either-way offence: it may be tried at the magistrates' court or the Crown Court. Mode of trial depends on the seriousness and the defendant's election. All suspects must be interviewed by officers trained in sexual offence investigation. Disclosure must be handled in accordance with the Attorney General's Guidelines. Consider a Sexual Harm Prevention Order application. The suspect must be cautioned in accordance with Code C PACE 1984 before any questions about the offence are put to them. Interviews must be audio-recorded (Code E) or, for indictable offences, may be visually recorded (Code F).