Builder who posted 'revenge porn' on swingers sites spared jail
30 October 2019, 09:38
A builder who impersonated his victim online and posted 'revenge porn' online has been spared jail.
Darren Rowe, 49, posted numerous pictures of the woman on various swingers and pornography websites.
The 39-year-old later discovered the images had been posted on online chat sites, and over the following months had unknown men turn up at her home claiming someone posing as her had invited them to the property.
Wolverhampton Crown Court was told Rowe posed as a friend to his victim, and pretended to support her through the ordeal.
She only discovered the pictures had been posted online a friend asked her about them in 2017, and said she initially thought a former friend was doing it after they fell out.
Rowe initially denied any involvement, but police traced the address linked to the images to a property in Stourbridge, West Midlands, where Rowe had been working at the time.
When he was arrested, detectives found a number of mobile phones and electronic devices including data which connected him to the images of his then partner.
Now, two years on Rowe has admitted two counts of disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress.
Following his conviction, his victim said: "Darren put me through hell and affected my mental health, all whilst trying to convince me that he was here to help me.
"I believe he put me in danger for his own enjoyment and I would encourage any other woman going through something like this to report it.
"You learn to live with it daily unfortunately, but time is a good healer. If anyone is going through this, I beg you to speak out, you are not alone.
"Tell a friend or a family member. I know it’s hard, but you can break free."
Rowe has now been sentenced to 12-month jail term, suspended for two years.
In addition, he has been ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work, given a restraining order for five years and a sexual harm prevention order for five years.
PC Lee Newell, of Force CID in West Bromwich, said "This has been a long and complex case.
"But our investigations revealed that the only person linked to an email address used to transmit the material was in fact Rowe.
"His victim has suffered a distressing onslaught of online abuse. But following this conviction we now wish her well for the future."
