Hull pair added woman to group chat with her mum to share revenge porn

Two people from Hull who posted explicit footage of a woman on social media as an act of revenge, have been spared jail.

Aimee Lawson, aged 31 and Lauren Fowler, aged 20 had fallen out with their victim and wanted to humiliate her.

They added her to a Facebook group chat, which had her mum in it as well as her ex-partner's family and others she didn't know, before uploading material of her of a sexual nature.

Hull Crown Court heard the two women had posted around four videos and 40 images over two days last year, as well as slurring her name and making claims she had slept with different men.

The footage had been filmed previously by Lawson during a drunken get together but the victim assumed they had been deleted.

Fowler of St George's Road, west Hull, and Lawson of Waveney Road, east Hull, both pleaded guilty to disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress.

Ben Donnell, prosecuting, read out a statement from the victim who said: “While in the group chat I was embarrassed, humiliated and angry when I found they had shared all my private life to my family who should not have seen such footage.

“I am worried this has caused an issue with my ex-partner and his family and that this will continue into the future. I am also embarrassed I had to share this with the police but I feel they should be dealt with accordingly for what they have done.”

Both defendants were on bail at the time for common assault, which they subsequently had received community orders for. What saved them from going to prison, said Recorder Ben Nolan, was the fact they had done well completing the orders.

He told Lawson and Fowler: “This was very unpleasant behaviour on both your parts. You were targeting the victim by weaponising social media.

“As this went on she must have become more and more distressed. This offence carries up to a two-year prison sentence and I was ready to impose such a sentence but for the timing.

“Just after this offence was committed you were both handed community orders for separate offences and you have both made good progress. It would not be right to halt these orders by sending you to prison.”

Both Lawson and Fowler were handed 12-month community orders with 20 rehabilitation days. They will also both have to undertake 80 hours unpaid work and pay costs of £320.