Tobermore man didn’t realise it was illegal to share video of naked female, court hears
A south Derry man who shared a video of a naked female with another male on Snapchat, has been placed on Probation for 18 months at Magherafelt Magistrates Court.
The 25-year-old was also ordered to carry out 60 hours of Communiy Service and ordered to pay each of his victims £250 compensation.
Dillion Kelly, of Edmund Court, Tobermore, had previously admitted two charges of disclosing private sexual photographs or films of individuals without their consent, and with the intention of causing distress.
District Judge Conor Heaney told Kelly that the courts treated these types of offences “extremely seriously”, and ordered him to participate in any programmes recommended by Probation Service.
He also put in place restraining orders preventing Kelly from contacting either of the victims during the next two years.
The judge described the compensation as “a token of the harm and anxiety that they have gone through as a result of your actions”.
Prosceuting counsel said on December 1, 2024, police received a report from one of the injured parties that Kelly had shared sexual images of her with another male on Snapchat for which she had not given her consent.
The lawyer said it consisted of a video of the injured party naked, showing her body and face and a photograph showing her breasts.
When spoken to by police about the matter, the defendant told them of another female he had shared images of with a friend.
Counsel said police spoke to this victim and were informed that she had not given Kelly permission to share them and was “extremely upset”.
A defence lawyer asked the court to give the defendant credit for his early guilty plea.
He said it was an upsetting set of circumstances for both the victims.
Counsel explained the images had been sent to the defendant consensually and the trust had been breached by him sending them on.
He stressed that Kelly did not realise it was illegal.
The lawyer pointed out that the defendant is a young man who is working full time, and has a limited record.
"He made a foolish decision on this occasion,” he added, pleading with the court to accede to the recommendation of the Probation Service for a period of community supervision.