STALKER POSTED VICTIM’S INTIMATE PHOTOS ONLINE

Man, 41, now locked up for 27 months

A STALKER who shared intimate photos of a woman taken around two decades ago has been jailed.

Mark Harrison, pictured, used fake social media accounts to post the images online.

The 41-year-old, of Heysham Close, Weston Coyney, also posted the pictures in the victim’s name. She was then made aware from third parties that the photos were on various websites.

Checks were completed against two of the offending social media profiles, which showed that they were created and used at Harrison’s home address.

He was subsequently arrested in August 2022 and officers located the images on his devices, along with web searches for the victim’s name. Now the defendant has been locked up for 27 months at Chester Crown Court.

Harrison’s victim, who has life-long anonymity, said: “For a long time, I felt very alone and embarrassed about what was happening to me and although I hadn’t done anything wrong at all, I didn’t know who to talk to or where to get any support from.

“I Googled ‘revenge porn help’ and approached ‘Revenge Porn Helpline’. They have really helped me over the years, I can’t speak highly enough about them and what they have done. They search for the intimate images and actively apply to the websites and pages to have them removed.

“I couldn’t have done this without their support, and really encourage anyone who might be in a similar position to reach out to a support group and ask for help – you will be listened to and supported.”

Harrison pleaded guilty to stalking involving serious distress and distributing private images with intent to cause distress.

On top of his 27-month sentence, he was issued with a 15-year restraining order and his electronic devices and digital storage will be destroyed.

Speaking after the case, DC Lauren Constable, the officer leading the investigation, said: “Harrison’s behaviour and actions have had a significant impact on his victim. She has suffered in every aspect of her life and has been subjected to an immeasurable amount of distress because of him.

“But she had the courage to report this to Cheshire Police and the sentence Harrison has now received is as a result of her bravery and the subsequent police investigation.”