Mother and son guilty of revenge porn

A 23-year-old man has been found guilty of sharing explicit photos and a video of his former girlfriend which his mother sent to his former partner’s father.

Matthew Cooper-Collyer, of Monkton Green, Monkton Deverill, Wiltshire, was convicted following a trial at Winchester Crown Court after being accused of threatening to disclose private sexual photos with the intent of causing distress.

His mother, Lynda Collyer, 41, of the same address, previously pleaded guilty to the same charge as well as admitting a second offence of malicious communications. The case was adjourned for both mother and son to be sentenced on January 12 2023.

Helen Easterbrook, prosecuting, told the trial that the defendant had recently split up with his girlfriend when his mother, Collyer, suggested in a Facebook conversation that he should send the images to her, which he agreed to do.

Collyer had also posted: “Happy Birthday”, followed by the initials of the victim.

Ms Easterbrook said that Collyer had written that she would “give her (the victim) drama like she loves”, and, referring to the images, she added: “Love them, perfect shots, you should have been a photographer.”

The prosecutor said that Cooper-Collyer had shared two intimate photos and a video with his mother who then sent them to the father of the defendant’s ex on the day before her birthday, with the aim of causing her “distress”.

Cooper-Collyer told the court that his mother had wanted to send the photos because she claimed the victim was going to “ruin” the defendant’s life by making false accusations against him.