Man Sentenced for threatening to share explicit photos of ex-girlfriend

A man has been sentenced to 20 months in prison, with 10 months suspended, after threatening to spread explicit videos and photos of his ex-girlfriend. To keep the identity of the victim concealed, the 45-year-old perpetrator’s name will not be released.

The incident occurred a month after the pair’s short relationship ended in November 2021. Following an “unsavoury” chain of messages, the man sent the woman a voice note threatening to post the explicit pictures on social media and send them to her social worker and her mother. The woman, who was in her 20s, immediately informed the gardaí of the threat.

The man was found in a pub in Dublin city centre. He claimed that he had been drinking and had made the threat because he was annoyed but then admitted that he had said “the wrong things” and apologised.

Despite a vital piece of evidence being lost, the actual voice note, the man still pleads guilty. Counsel for the defendant also stressed that his life had been very difficult up to that point, having suffered from severe mental health issues over the years. He tragically lost both of his parents and never made it past primary schooling. As well as being currently homeless, he also suffers from drug and alcohol addiction.

While asserting that it was a serious crime and an attack on the woman’s right to privacy, Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged the man’s immediate remorse and guilty plea. If the man behaves well following his release, he will not have to serve the final 10 months of his jail sentence.

If you have been affected by something similar, contact our solicitors and speak to us in complete confidentiality.