Laurence Fox has enraged many with his sharp turn from acting to politics, shocking former fans with his outspoken views on major issues. After years of legal struggles, the actor is set to appear in court again today, Friday April 25, after being charged with a sexual offence.
In April 2024, the former actor allegedly shared an explicit image of TV star Narinder Kaur online, which had been taken in 2009.
Good Morning Britain star Kaur, 52, shared how the incident was “unimaginably mortifying,” and resulted in vile hatred sent her way by Fox’s supporters.
The Metropolitan Police investigated the matter for 11 months before charging Fox, 46, last month, with the sharing of such an image being an offence contrary to section 66A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
Fox addressed the situation in an extended post the following day, in which he said he “would like to apologise” to Kaur and then went on to say “it’s not my fault” that Kaur was pictured in the compromising image more than 15 years ago – but despite Fox’s conciliatory words, his culpability is yet to be formally judged.
Criminal lawyer Marcus Johnstone of PCD Solicitors specialises in sexual offences, and shared his thoughts on Fox’s case with the Mirror. The lawyer explained that jail time is considered at the magistrates’ court – where the case is being held – with a maximum sentence of 12 months.
Mr Johnstone added that any sentence could be reduced by a third if the defendant pleads guilty when they’re first offered the opportunity, but it’s unknown which route the Reform UK supporter will take.
In any case, if found guilty or pleading guilty, the specifics of this case mean that Fox could be registered as a sex offender for a set period of time alongside any other sentence.
Intent will be weighed heavily in judgement, so Mr Johnstone suggests that Fox’s counsel could bring up the fact that he deleted the image after Naur made her distress clear, or might even say that he never intended to cause harm by sharing it.
Johnstone explained: “The case against Laurence Fox is unusual. In my view, it is likely that the authorities are attempting to come down hard on a public figure to dissuade others of this type of ‘offending’. The basis of the charges – brought for ‘cyberflashing’, under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 – relate to the sharing of a historic third-party image taken of a fellow journalist many years ago, which has allegedly been repeatedly reshared.
“Whilst there does not seem to be any sexual gratification or sexual motivation in his behaviour, Mr Fox could nonetheless be guilty of the offence by virtue of his sharing of the image alone. If Mr Fox pleads guilty to these charges – or is convicted – he is unlikely to go to prison. He would almost certainly be handed a custodial sentence, although probably this would be suspended.”
While Johnstone couldn’t see Fox going to prison, the lawyer said he wouldn’t get off scot-free if found guilty. “As this is ostensibly a sexual offence, this would also come with automatic registration as a sex offender, with the various restrictions and ramifications that come with it,” he said.
“In the event of an acquittal, Mr Fox will have limited options for any type of recourse, although he may consider civil action against some of his loudest and most libellous detractors. As with all defendants, his foremost concern will be proving his innocence or seeking mitigations for his sentence.”
At the time the photo was taken of Kaur, upskirting – taking pictures of people under their clothes without their permission – was not yet recognised under law. However, by the time Fox shared it, the act had been an offence for years. Upskirting became a specific criminal offence in 2019. Offenders can face up to two years in jail and be placed on the sex offenders register.
Section 66A, which Fox’s actions have been charged as contrary to, was introduced via the Online Safety Act 2023 to address the growing problem of cyberflashing, with many people – particularly women – revealing the devastating impact of the crime. The law criminalises the act of intentionally sending or sharing a sexual image of genitals without the recipient’s consent and with the intention to cause alarm, distress, humiliation, or for sexual gratification.
The Mirror has contacted representatives of Fox and Kaur for comment.
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