Judge jails Blackpool barman over revenge porn text

Barman Lewis Bromby, 25, of Glenhaven Hotel, Shaw Road, Blackpool, texted the sexually graphic clip alongside a smiley emoji and message saying: "Enjoy", after alerting the woman's friend to the footage via a Playstation gaming account.

It happened shortly after Bromby assaulted her and stole her mobile phone after an argument in a bar, Preston's Sessions House court was told.

Bromby pleaded guilty to disclosing a private sexual photograph of his victim on September 5, theft and assault.

Judge Jonathan Gibson said: " It's hard to think of a breach of privacy more likely to cause greater distress to a person than to send a private video of that person engaged in sexual activity, she of course was upset and we've heard of the effects on her.

"If it had been published on social media the sentence would be very much longer - but what you did was bad enough.

"Anyone thinking of committing this type of offence must understand that immediate custody is likely to follow."

Prosecuting, Nick Flanagan said on September 4 the victim had gone to Popworld in Blackpool and agreed to meet up with the defendant outside a Travelodge.

He added: "He gave her his jacket and they together walked a short distance to Yates' bar on the Promenade.

"They spoke for some time and then bumped into a male friend of the victim and his brother.

"Almost immediately an argument began to ensue.

"The situation did calm down and she indicated to the defendant she just wanted to go home."

The court heard Bromby sarcastically replied she should text the man.

But when she pulled her phone out he grabbed it and pushed her head backwards.

The force caused her head to slam into the wall, before walking off with her phone.

The woman's male friend came round the corner, saw the defendant had taken the victim's mobile phone and chased him.

The shaken woman was helped home by her friend and fell asleep as they watched a movie.

The man then noticed a message kept popping up on his Playstation gaming network account from Bromby, asking him to check his phone.

When he did, he had been sent an extremely graphic video.

The man contacted the victim's sister to clarify it was her in the clip, before she was given the news.

Mr Flanagan added: " He was concerned about what he'd seen and wasn't sure if it was her due to the graphic nature of it.

"It's apparent this message was sent for the purpose of being insulting and hurtful towards the woman."

In a police interview Bromby gave a prepared statement denying the offences but later made admissions.

The court heard the traumatised victim had tried to take an overdose, suffered nightmares about the video being shared, and was receiving counselling.

Defending, Kevin Liston said the incident was "triggered by the consumption of alcohol and immaturity.

He added: " It is unacceptable but it was a single video, there is no wide distribution.

" This was an offence committed out of irrationality and immaturity."

Recent 'revenge porn' laws criminalise the sharing of private, sexual photographs or films, where what is shown would not usually be seen in public.

'Sexual material' covers anything that a reasonable person would consider to be sexual, such as a picture of someone who is engaged in certain behaviour or posing in a provocative way.

The legislation came into force in April 2015, in the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill.