Adult content ban looms for UK from next month as Ofcom announces new age checks
Ofcom's new age measures on adult content will apply in the UK to both dedicated adult sites and social media, search or gaming services, as part of the Online Safety Act (OSA)
All UK adult content sites will implement "highly effective" age verification within the next month to better safeguard children, according to an announcement by regulator Ofcom.
Major providers such as Pornhub, Stripchat and Jerkmate have agreed to these enhanced measures, which apply to both dedicated adult sites and social media, search or gaming services, under the Online Safety Act (OSA).
Any firm that fails to comply with the checks by July 25, 2025 could face fines or be blocked in the UK through a court order. The platforms are also required to ensure these measures do not infringe on the privacy of adults or hinder them from accessing legal content.
The Online Safety Act was passed into law in August 2024. The Act provides a regulatory framework to regulate internet services and make the online world safer for individuals in the United Kingdom. This includes illegal content and activity, as well as content that is harmful to children.
Age verification methods may include credit card checks, open banking or facial age estimation to determine or estimate a user's age. Ofcom stated that "the way in which these solutions are implemented in practice" will determine whether it complies with the OSA.
This follows new research by Ofcom revealing that 8% of eight to 14 year olds in the UK had visited an online adult content site or app on smartphones, tablets or computers within a month.
In June 2025, Ofcom announced it had initiated several investigations into 4chan, an adult content site operator and various file-sharing platforms over suspected failures to protect children, following complaints about illegal activity and potential sharing of child abuse images.
It reported that none of the services responded to its legal information requests. Ofcom's group director of online safety, Oliver Griffiths, remarked on the increased protection for children online, saying: "Society has long protected youngsters from products that aren't suitable for them, from alcohol to smoking or gambling," he said.
"But for too long children have been only a click away from harmful pornography online. Now, change is happening," Griffiths added. "These age checks will bring pornography into line with how we treat adult services in the real world, without compromising access and privacy for over-18s."
Ofcom also plans to release a report on the use and effectiveness of age assurance methods next year.
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Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
‘Crossbow Cannibal' smirked as I searched his house of horrors… there were things in his bathtub no one should ever see
Traumatised officer reveals how the cocky serial killer changed before his eyes after a chance sighting finally closed the net around him SICKEST MIND 'Crossbow Cannibal' smirked as I searched his house of horrors… there were things in his bathtub no one should ever see Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HE was a PhD student by day, and a sadistic 'Crossbow Cannibal' by night - a monster hiding in plain sight. But few know the horrors committed by Stephen Griffiths better than the officer who raided his chilling flat, greeted by the stench of death and horrific discoveries that made the "hair at the back of your neck stand up". 16 Stephen Griffiths brutally murdered three women in cold blood 16 His final victim was Suzanne Blamires, whose attack led to his arrest 16 The evil murderer was caught on camera launching an attack on Suzanne Credit: Amazon Prime Between 2009 and 2010, the sick monster - now aged 55 - killed three sex workers operating close to his flat on the edge of Bradford's red light district, cannibalising and dismembering them. But the self-styled 'Crossbow Cannibal' - who fantasised about becoming a serial killer - saw his twisted spree come crashing down when chilling CCTV footage exposed his final, brutal act. In May 2010, Griffiths was caught on film with a crossbow in hand, attacking a woman who had followed him into his flat in Bradford. The grainy footage showed her trying to flee, with Griffiths chasing her down. It was a scene so disturbing that the caretaker who discovered it immediately called his manager and then the police. One of the officers brought in was Damian Sharp, a former firearms tactical advisor, who was urgently called to one of West Yorkshire Police's major planning stations. Speaking exclusively to The Sun, as part of our Meeting a Monster series, Damian recalls: "Whatever that security man's motives were for checking the footage, it's extremely good he did because it probably saved the lives of a lot of women. "In regards to the woman in the footage, when we got the call, we had to make the assumption that she was still alive. "She was dragged back into the flat and is essentially a hostage, and has been rendered unconscious. "It was not a good situation at all, especially with the crossbow. We treated it as a hostage situation, but we were dealing with what we call a collapsing timeframe. "We had to keep the wheels turning because every second counted. A hostage situation can turn fatal very quickly." 'Crossbow Cannibal' who dismembered and ate his victims 'is attacked in prison AGAIN The tactical plan was clear - surround the building, box Griffiths in, and storm the flat before he had a chance to act again. Tasers were drawn, and officers prepared to strike. "The officers barged in and he was in bed", Damian recalls. "He didn't know what was going on. "The preemptive Taser was taken out because the officer thought there was no requirement for that. He was clearly not a threat. "He was cuffed, and then he changed from being compliant to a bit cocky almost and almost abrasive. "And obviously, there was an immediate search of the apartment. Unfortunately, no female was found." 16 Griffiths' first known victim was Susan Rushworth, who he killed in June 2009 16 Shelley Armitage went missing in April 2010 - parts of her body were later discovered dumped in a river 16 Griffiths used his crossbow to carry out some of his twisted crimes In that moment, the team's worst fears were confirmed. The woman in the footage was gone. Griffiths had already killed her and disposed of her remains. Damian says during the search of the blood-smeared apartment, his team came across 'unsettling' items in places like the oven, which gave credence to Griffiths' cannibal nickname. He says: "There were things in the bathtub and they were not nice. There was an awful smell in the apartment. "The environment was unsettling. Enough to make the hair at the back of your neck stand up." In their investigation, police discovered that Griffiths tried unsuccessfully to get a second female into the apartment that same night, indicating that the incident caught on CCTV was not just an isolated case. 81 different body pieces Investigators quickly pieced together that the woman in the film was Suzanne Blamires, 36, a sex worker who had a "promising life" but fell in with the wrong crowd. A court later heard how 81 different pieces of Suzanne's body were eventually found in or by the River Aire in Shipley. She was Griffiths' final victim, having already murdered 31-year-old Shelley Armitage in April 2010 and Susan Rushworth, 43, in June the previous year. Damian, who has dealt with some of the UK's most evil criminals, says: "As far as what he did to those girls, the Crossbow Cannibal is right up there. I don't think it gets much worse than what he did. "He showed no remorse for what he'd done. He bragged about it. He was quite pleased with himself." Sister's horror Now, a new Amazon Prime documentary, The Crossbow Cannibal, examines Griffiths' heinous crimes and the vile way he gained his moniker. In the film, his estranged sister Caroline breaks her silence for the first time to talk about her brother's actions, suggesting she had long sensed he was hiding a darkness. Describing the gut feeling she had when a news report talked about a killer, she says: "I was enjoying my fish and chips and the BBC news was on. "It came on that a 40-year-old man from Bradford. Arrested. Body parts [were] found in a river. As far as what he did to those girls, the Crossbow Cannibal is right up there. I don't think it gets much worse than what he did. He showed no remorse for what he'd done. Damian Sharp "I made this funny noise - kind of sucked air through my teeth. And I just said, 'My brother. I bet you that's my brother'." She adds: 'I watch true crime and I think that's terrible. But then I also think my brother did worse than that. "You hear about people chopping people up, and you think it's awful, and then the words 81 pieces come into your head. "And you never really come to terms with it. But it's real. It happened." Sickest crimes 16 During his police interrogation, Griffiths said he had 'killed loads' 16 His home near the red light district was described as a slaughterhouse Credit: NB PRESS LTD 16 Police discovered the crossbow he used in the attacks during a search of his home After Griffiths' arrest, he was quickly linked to Susan and Shelley's disappearance, as cops feared another case of the Yorkshire Ripper, who killed more than 22 women. His first kill came in June 2009 when he targeted Susan. In the film, Christa Ackyord, a Yorkshire-based journalist, says: "I know mutual friends. I've talked to her brother. She literally went down the wrong track. It was all going so well for Susan. "She was married, she had children, she was also a grandma." But Susan's life fell apart when her marriage failed, and she turned to drugs and prostitution. She tried to get things back on track, but fell back into addiction. She was last seen walking near the red light district in Bradford, where she'd sometimes sold sex to fund her habit. That morning, Susan told a friend she was "just going to see a punter" - unaware she was about to walk into the hands of a cold-blooded killer. Her client was Stephen Griffiths. He had spotted her before and lured her in under the guise of paying for sex. Once inside his flat, Susan was never seen alive again. Sickening spree There were multiple police appeals and efforts to locate Susan. Exactly what happened inside remains unknown - her body was never found. Susan's family were left devastated. Her daughter described her as a "kind, caring woman" who had struggled with addiction but was "trying to turn her life around". Her death marked the start of Griffiths' sick killing spree - and for police, the nightmare was just beginning. Shelley Armitage was just 31, and described as bright, ambitious, and dreaming of modelling and a life beyond Bradford's streets. Friends say she "could have been a beautiful model" and had a bubbly personality. But a spiral of heroin and alcohol addiction drew her into sex work. On April 26, 2010, she was last seen on CCTV walking along Rebecca Street in Bradford's red light district . She disappeared after leaving her flat in Allerton with a friend and never returned home . Her boyfriend, Robert Preston, filed a missing persons report two days later. Again, several police appeals were launched with investigators pleading with the public for help to locate Shelley. Griffiths had lured Shelley to his flat under the pretence of sex, then tied her up in his bathtub while filming the ordeal on his phone, police later revealed. Mobile phones retrieved from his home showed images of Shelley's naked, dead body with the words: "My sex slave" written on her. Another video showed a nude body that had been bound. Griffith provided vile commentary describing himself as a "bloodbath artist". The murderer showed no remorse when detectives sat him down in the interview room. He was calm, collected and even smug as he detailed his horrific crimes. He confessed that Susan was killed with a hammer. He then dismembered her body with machine tools, he said. 16 Police divers in the River Aire made several gruesome discoveries Credit: Amazon Prime 16 Human remains belonging to Suzanne and Shelley were found in the water Credit: Amazon Prime Griffiths also claimed he cooked and ate part of her flesh. In one shocking moment, he described eating the flesh of his victims as "part of the magic". He admitted to killing Shelley with a crossbow and dismembering her in the bath. He informed detectives that they would find traces of her body on the cooker in his home. He recalled butchering Suzanne Blamires with a crossbow. After divulging the information, he stopped talking to the cops, letting them know that to become a serial killer, he only needed to kill three people. Investigators quickly started piecing together a sinister motive - Griffith was after notoriety and infamy. He wanted to surpass his idol, serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper. In the documentary, his sister says: "He once told me as well that if he couldn't be famous, he would be infamous. And that if I was famous and was more famous than him, he would find me and kill me." Crossbow Cannibal 16 When asked his name in court, Griffiths chillingly said he was the 'Crossbow Cannibal' Credit: Amazon Prime 16 Griffiths was given a whole life order in December 2010 Credit: Amazon Prime When Griffiths first appeared in Bradford Crown Court on June 25, 2010, the room fell into stunned silence. He stood in the dock, unshaven, wearing a grey prison sweatshirt. When asked to confirm his name, he chillingly replied: "I am the Crossbow Cannibal." It was the first time the public heard the nickname, a vile moniker he had clearly chosen for himself, designed to terrify. Griffiths showed no remorse throughout the proceedings. The evidence against him was overwhelming, with CCTV footage and forensic evidence from his flat playing a crucial role. Cops also had the phone video he filmed of himself tormenting Shelley Armitage in the bath, and remains recovered from the River Aire. He once told me as well that if he couldn't be famous, he would be infamous. And that if I was famous and was more famous than him, he would find me and kill me Caroline Griffiths In addition, blood samples from all three women were retrieved from his apartment, which was called a slaughterhouse in the media. He was charged with three counts of murder and pleaded guilty to each one. At his trial, the court heard how he had targeted vulnerable women working in Bradford's red light district, luring them into his home before murdering and dismembering them. In December 2010, Mr Justice Openshaw, sentencing Griffiths to a whole life order, told him: "You are a very dangerous man and in my judgment you should never be released from prison." Griffiths showed no reaction. He stood still and silent, not even looking at the victims' families who sat weeping just metres away. He was sent to Wakefield Prison, among some of Britain's most notorious killers. In November last year, Griffiths was attacked in prison by one of Suzanne Blamires' friends who was also incarcerated. 'Worst fears' 16 Suzanne was from a good family, but turned to drugs and prostitution after falling on hard times Credit: 16 Shelley's family says she was on the verge of turning her life around before the murder Credit: Today, Griffiths' sister only has one question - why. She says: "I just want to ask him why, probably. Why did he do this, and who are you? I'd probably tell him that I loved him as well. People might be shocked to hear that, but he's my brother. My big brother." Christa Ackyord says the attention must always be brought back to Griffiths' victims and their families. She explains: "For their families, they were people that they loved. People that they tried to help. People that they were desperately worried about. And their worst fears came true. "And they ended up meeting a psychopath. A cold-hearted killer who wanted to be famous."
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
He found brain in microwave and severed breasts on table in horror home
Serial killer Stephen Griffiths proudly proclaimed himself as the Crossbow Cannibal when he appeared in court charged with the murders of three women. Now as a Prime Video documentary looks back at his twisted crimes, the two police officers who caught him reveal the sickening sights inside his blood-splattered Bradford flat It was the smell that first hit the police officers as they burst through the door of Stephen Griffiths ' small Bradford flat - the scent of sweet rot and charred meat. And it wasn't long before the sickening odor was traced back to the dismembered body of a woman who Griffiths had been caught on CCTV dragging back to his lair. Suzanne Blamires, 36, had disappeared from the red-light district of Bradford days earlier. She had been lured home by Griffiths - who had befriended some of the sex workers who plied their trade in the streets around his flat. Suzanne was seen on the same CCTV camera running in terror out of his stinking apartment, followed by the killer - brandishing a black crossbow. After knocking her unconscious in the corridor, the monster dragged Suzanne back inside, before smirking at the camera and raising his middle finger in mock salute. It was only when the building's caretaker idly watched back the footage on the morning of Monday May 24, 2010 - three days later - that he noticed the altercation. It was seeing Suzanne's final act of bravery, when she tried to get away, that finally snared the self-dubbed 'Crossbow Cannibal'. Griffiths, a criminology PhD student, who hero-worshipped Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe, stockpiled weapons and books about murder and harboured ambitions of becoming a serial killer. As a child, he would torture animals, pulling the wings off birds and taking a hammer to his own pet rat. His younger siblings were subjected to violence. Griffiths designed a system whereby he would award them 'points' for annoying him. After accumulating a certain number of points, he would launch a vicious attack on them, ignoring their sobs of pain. But even they could not have predicted the twisted crimes he went on to commit against at least three women. Now,15 years on from the Bradford murders, a new Prime Video documentary looks back at how the killer was able to get away with his crimes for so long - crimes which would have a lifelong impact on everyone involved. After the shocked caretaker and his manager called 999 to report the chilling CCTV footage, Damien Sharp, a former firearms tactical advisor with West Yorkshire Police, was tasked with planning and executing the raid to arrest Stephen Griffiths. His partner Adam Twigg was part of the ground team, poised to break down the killer's door and free the woman they hoped was still alive inside. Both men are speaking publicly about what they witnessed for the first time. 'We had a collapsing time frame,' says Damien. 'We knew from the cameras that Suzanne hadn't left Griffiths' apartment over the weekend. The hope was that she was still alive.' Firearms officer Adam and his squad broke through Griffiths' door only to find him sitting up in bed. 'I gave him a gentle prod with the front of my gun to drive him to the floor,' he remembers. A loaded crossbow lay nearby, along with a cache of hunting knives and shells. Once officers got the killer on the floor and in handcuffs, Adam crouched down to read him his rights. 'I told him, 'Stephen, I am arresting you on suspicion of murder.' And he just looked up at me and went, 'I'm Osama bin Laden.'' Adam and his team set about searching the flat for any trace of Suzanne. What they found would haunt them forever. 'One of them opened the microwave and immediately shut the door again,' says Damien, recalling how he could hear everything his team were saying over the radio. 'He said the flat was like something out of [horror film] Seven, blood smeared everywhere and crossbow bolts embedded in the walls. The smell was horrific - sweet and rotten. It was the smell of death.' Adam went to investigate the bathroom - which the killer had proudly dubbed 'The Slaughterhouse.' Blood was splattered over the surfaces and a charred quilt covered the remnants of a rucksack in the bathtub. Griffiths was trying to dispose of DNA evidence from Suzanne's body parts, which he'd stashed inside the bag to dump in the nearby River Aire. 'There was a sizable portion of a brain in the microwave,' remembers Adam. 'And there was another portion of brain on a plate, on a coffee table in the front room, next to a pair of amputated breasts.' Officers also recovered Griffiths' laptop and digital camera, which had a stash of disturbing images and footage. Shelley Armitage, a 31-year-old woman who had gone missing a month previously on April 26, 2010, was seen lying dead in his bath with the words 'My sex slave' carved into her chest. Griffiths had shot her with his crossbow, cut up her remains and cannibalised part of her body. At least three women met their deaths at the hands of Griffiths, who had been diagnosed as a sadistic schizoid psychopath in 1991, after slashing a shop clerk's face while shoplifting goods. He murdered Susan Rushworth, 43, with a hammer after she disappeared on June 22, 2009. He had dismembered her body using machine tools, before cooking and eating some of her flesh. No trace of her remains have ever been found. After being convicted, Griffiths taunted her devastated family, by refusing to tell them what he did to her. Shelley was his second victim and Suzanne his third. In court, Griffiths proudly proclaimed himself the Crossbow Cannibal in response to being asked his name - a boast that behavioural scientist and psychological profiler Dr Nicola Davies believes was actually designed to protect his shattered ego. 'Griffiths had invested so much of his identity into becoming what he saw as the ultimate predator,' she observes. 'He had rehearsed his fantasies, studied serial killers at PhD level, and created a mythologised version of himself online. Being caught destroyed that performance and he found that intolerable. 'Griffiths wanted to be a serial killer and yet he only just achieved that definition - three murders - before the brave Suzanne Blamires ensured he was caught when she escaped his flat and his crime was recorded on CCTV. 'For a man who saw himself as untouchable and the ultimate predator, this would have severely hurt his ego – as would the fact that he 'underperformed' in comparison to his serial killer idols.' After his conviction in 2010, Griffiths was handed a rare whole-life order for the murders of Susan, Shelley and Suzanne, meaning he will die behind bars without ever being released. The judge described him as 'wicked and monstrous'. He has since been linked to the murders of three other women, but has refused to cooperate with police in subsequent interviews.
Powys County Times
2 days ago
- Powys County Times
Former Mid and East Antrim chief faces prosecution over alleged deleted emails
The former head of Mid and East Antrim Council is facing prosecution in a probe into the alleged deletion of emails. Anne Donaghy has 'denied any wrongdoing during her time in office'. A solicitor of Ms Donaghy added she will 'vehemently contest these three technical offences'. Northern Ireland's Public Prosecution Service (PPS) on Friday confirmed that it has taken a decision to prosecute two people following a police probe into the alleged deletion of emails related to a freedom of information (FOI) request at the council in 2021. It comes after a BBC Spotlight programme reported police searches of the council offices in October 2021 and April 2022 were connected to an alleged attempt to delete correspondence around a decision to withdraw council staff involved in post-Brexit trade agreement checks at Larne Port. During a time of political tension over the introduction of an 'Irish Sea border', a number of staff were temporarily removed from the posts for their safety following alleged threats from loyalist paramilitaries. Department of Agriculture staff were also withdrawn from the port on February 1 2021 amid security concerns. However police later said they were not aware of any credible threats. A PPS spokesperson said one individual is being prosecuted for three offences under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, and a second individual is being prosecuted for one offence under the same Act. 'The charges relate to offences allegedly committed in April 2021 and June 2021,' they said. In total four individuals were reported on a police investigation file submitted to the PPS for consideration. The PPS said a senior prosecutor carefully considered all the available evidence and applied the test for prosecution before taking decisions in relation to the four reported individuals. 'It has been determined that the available evidence in relation to the other two reported individuals is insufficient in order to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction and therefore the test for prosecution is not met in relation to them,' they said. Solicitor Kevin Winters said Ms Donaghy has an outstanding High Court legal action against the council alleging discrimination. 'Today we received notification that she will be prosecuted on three counts of allegedly concealing records, aiding and abetting another person to erase or conceal a record and attempting to erase or conceal a record contrary to FOIA and other legislation,' he said. 'Our client denies any wrongdoing during her time in office and will vehemently contest these three technical offences. 'Central to her defence will be very strong allegations of investigative bias over the manner in which this inquiry has been conducted. 'Those same allegations have been the subject of a long-running complaint to PONI, the out workings of which will feature in any trial, if one is ever directed.' He added: 'Anne Donaghy has an impeccable record and service working for the council. 'She wants to put on record her sincere thanks for the all the support she has received from former colleagues in council and beyond in the wider community. 'Our client takes a lot of strength from this and knows it will serve her well going forward when confronting what are essentially contrived politically motivated allegations.'
