Police are investigating a “new” crime of cyber-flashing after a commuter received an indecent image on her phone as she travelled to work.
The victim received two pictures of an unknown man’s penis on her phone via Apple’s Airdrop sharing function.
Lorraine Crighton-Smith, 34, said she felt “violated” and reported it to the British Transport Police (BTP).
Supt Gill Murray said this particular crime was new to her force and urged people to report any other incidents.
Ms Crighton-Smith, who was travelling on a train in south London, told the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme: “I had Airdrop switched on because I had been using it previously to send photos to another iPhone user – and a picture appeared on the screen of a man’s penis, which I was quite shocked by.
“So, I declined the image, instinctively, and another image appeared, at which [point] I realised someone nearby must be sending them, and that concerned me. I felt violated, it was a very unpleasant thing to have forced upon my screen.`
“I was also worried about who else might have been a recipient, it might have been a child, someone more vulnerable than me.
“My name on Airdrop says Lorraine so they knew they were sending it to a woman. The images were of a sexual nature and it was distressing.”
