Glasgow Times

Teen sent intimate images of ex to chat with underage girl

- BY CONNOR GORDON

ATEEN sent intimate images of his ex-lover to a group chat which contained an underage girl.

Dean Bernard directed five collated images of his former girlfriend to the 15-year-old and two others from a property in Glasgow’s Easterhous­e on May 26.

The 18-year-old also posted videos of the girl dancing to music.

The messages alarmed the underage girl who was in the group chat and she alerted the victim by Facebook.

Bernard pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to disclosing images which appeared to show the victim in an intimate situation. He also admitted coercing the 15-year-old girl to look at a sexual image and communicat­ing indecently with her.

The court heard Bernard and the victim were in a relationsh­ip for around 10 months.

The 15-year-old witness created a group chat which contained Bernard and two other friends.

Bernard sent multiple videos of the victim performing dance moves to music.

Prosecutor Jennifer Sillars said: “These did not appear to be sexual in nature or intimate.”

“He then sent a photo collage to the group chat which contained five separate images depicting the victim in various stages of undress. Some of which, she was wearing only her underwear while lying in bed or standing in front of a mirror.”

The witness, due to her age, felt “uncomforta­ble” about the images and contacted the victim on Messenger. The victim woke up to several messages from the witness and she contacted the police.

Sillars added: “The victim stated when speaking to the police she sent the images to Bernard believing they were for sexual gratificat­ion and thinking they were for Bernard’s eyes only.

“She didn’t give permission to distribute these images to other people.”

Bernard’s lawyer told the court that he is a “very immature young man”. Sheriff Allan Findlay put Bernard, of Coatbridge, under supervisio­n for two years.

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