Laurence Fox has pleaded not guilty to sexual offence charges over the publication of an upskirt photo of TV star Narinder Kaur.
The actor-turned-politician is alleged to have shared a compromising image in a tweet posted in April 2024 of Kaur, 52, who appears regularly on Good Morning Britain and has previously appeared on GB News. Fox, of Peldon in Essex, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday charged with two counts under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
He is accused of sharing a “photograph or film of person in intimate state intending to cause alarm, distress or humiliation”, in the first count, while the second alleges he sent a “photograph or film of genitals to cause alarm, distress or humiliation”.
The 46-year-old, wearing grey jeans and a light blue shirt, spoke to confirm his identity and enter not guilty pleas to both charges. His fiancé Liz Barker was among those watching court proceedings from the public gallery.
Fox, 46, was charged by police last month following an eleven month probe into two posts on social media site X.
The police previously said Fox had been “charged with an offence contrary to section 66A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003” which “relates to an image that was posted on a social media platform in April 2024”. Section 66A of the Sexual Offences Act relates to “cyber flashing”.
The charge, introduced in 2023, makes it an offence to intentionally share a sexual image of someone without consent, with the aim of causing alarm, distress, humiliation or for sexual gratification.
Upskirting, taking pictures of people under their clothes without their permission, became a specific criminal offence in 2019. Offenders can face up to two years in jail and be placed on the sex offenders’ register.
Prosecutor David Burns told the hearing: “This relates to a post on X, posted by Mr Fox on April 30, 2024.
“That post shows a picture of the complainant in an intimate state, showing parts of her genitals.”
During the brief hearing, Fox elected for a jury trial at crown court. He will appear at Woolwich Crown Court for a pre-trial hearing on May 23.
At the time, Kaur, 52, said the image was “unimaginably mortifying” in a post on X. Shortly after the social media posts were made, Fox, of Peldon, Essex, wrote online that he “would like to apologise” to Ms Kaur.
He then added “it’s not my fault” that the TV star was pictured in the compromising image more than 15 years ago. After the criminal charges were announced, he claimed: “This is yet another deeply concerning example of the two-tier British ‘justice’ system in all its Soviet glory.
“I will deal with this untrue, ridiculous, vexatious and malicious nonsense just like last time they tried it on.
“How much more time, effort and tax payer money are the @metpoliceuk going to spend ignoring actual crimes in their efforts to silence ordinary British people? Fight! Fight! Fight!”.
Fox was fired from GB News in October 2023 after an on-air rant about journalist Ava Evans. He previously starred as James Hathaway in ITV’s drama series Lewis.
* If you’ve been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via www.rapecrisis.org.uk or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999
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