CRACKDOWN: GOVERNMENT'S PLEDGE TO TACKLE REVENGE PORN
A jilted
boyfriend took revenge on his ex-girlfriend by posting a photograph of
her posing in her underwear on her own online account, and changed her
password so she could not remove it.
Nathan Lloyd, 22, had been sent the picture of his girlfriend wearing racy underwear when they were still going together.
But
when she ended their relationship Lloyd logged into her Instagram
account and uploaded the picture, and then changed her password.
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Nathan Lloyd took
revenge on his former partner for ending their relationship by posting
an explicit image of her own online account and then changing her
password so she could not remove it (photo posed by model)
Lloyd, of Narberth, West Wales, also posted a video 'of a sexual nature' onto the page, Haverfordwest magistrates court heard.
Prosecutor Peter Lloyd said: 'When they were together the defendant had access to the victim's Instagram account.
'Lloyd then changed the victim's Instagram password and posted the picture and later a video of a private sexual nature.'
Lloyd
admitted breaking the Telecommunications Act by posting the image. He
will be sentenced later at Haverfordwest Magistrates' Court.
He was given bail on the condition he did not use any social networking websites before his next court date.
Lloyd posted the image on his former girlfriend's Instagram page and then changed her account password
At a hearing at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court Lloyd, 22, admitted breaking the telecommunications act
The maximum sentence for the offence, which falls under section 127 of the Communications Act 2003, is six months in prison.
Lloyd's
case comes as new legislation is expected to come into force next year
that makes revenge porn - a specific offence which could carry a maximum
sentence of two years. It is due to be made into law next year.
Yesterday
the CPS launched new guidelines on tackling domestic abuse which will
include using technology to inflict misery on former partners. Under the
new guidance issued prosecutors will be encouraged to consider how
revenge porn can be treated as a form of domestic abuse.
Those
convicted of revenge porn – the distribution of a private sexual image
of someone without their consent and with the intention of causing them
distress – could face two years in prison under new laws.
It
will be made a specific offence, covering the sharing of images both
online and offline, in the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill, which is
currently going through Parliament.
It
will mean that images posted to social networking sites such as
Facebook and Twitter will be caught by the offence, as well as those
that are shared via text message.
Luke King was jailed for posting the explicit image
Images shared via email, on a website or the distribution of physical copies will also be caught.
Victims of revenge porn have previously found it difficult to have pictures removed from the internet.
Victim of revenge porn website goes public to raise awareness
Many sites where the images are hosted are based outside the UK, and requests to remove content are often ignored. In some cases, asking for removal results in more attention being brought to the images.
The
move to clamp down on 'revenge porn' came after 149 cases, the vast
majority of them involving women victims, were reported over two and a
half years. Only six led to prosecutions.
However,
the new rules do not affect the consensual 'sexting' of images by
under-18s. This is already illegal – but police cannot monitor mobile
photo messages.
Earlier
this year Luke King, 21, of Nottingham, became the first person to be
jailed for revenge porn offences in the UK. After his three year
relationship ended he posted a number of explicit images of his former
partner, and changed his WhatsApp icon to one of the images.
King
was eventually prosecuted under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997
after he ignored two police warnings not to share the X-rated images
and was jailed for 12 weeks.
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