Advertisement

'Harsh lesson': Teenager fined over Broncos sex tape scandal

McKenzie Lorraine Robinson (pictured left) and Kotoni Staggs (pictured right).
McKenzie Lorraine Robinson (pictured left) and Kotoni Staggs (pictured right). (Images: AAP/Getty Images)

A Brisbane teenager trusted the wrong person and never intended an explicit sex tape involving Brisbane Broncos centre Kotoni Staggs to be released, a court has been told.

McKenzie Lorraine Robinson, 18, was fined $600 after pleading guilty in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday to distributing a prohibited visual recording.

WOW: Kyle Flanagan critics 'don’t know what they're talking about'

'GARBAGE': Wayne Bennett fumes over Phil Gould claim

Robinson and Staggs met through social media before the young NRL star went to her apartment on June 15 for consensual sex with several acts captured on mobile phone footage.

The teenager allegedly shared the recording with a "person she trusted" between June 14 and August 5 without Staggs' consent.

In the weeks after the encounter, Robinson sent up to 40 messages to Staggs inviting him to meet up a second time, but he did not respond.

Defence solicitor Jason Jacobson said the teen "was not particularly bothered" by the brush off and felt "no ill will" toward Staggs.

"When the video became public, she was shocked," Mr Jacobson said.

"She knew that she had the one person she had trusted with the video had sent it off.

"She has learned a harsh lesson in that these things are not to be distributed at all. And of course, you think you can trust someone with one thing or one secret, and they let you down."

Staggs says he is ‘deeply embarrassed’

Staggs was cleared of any wrongdoing by the NRL's integrity unit after the video surfaced, but the 21-year-old previously told media he was "deeply embarrassed".

Magistrate Tina Previtera said there was no evidence of "intentional or spiteful behaviour" and the incident was a warning to all social media users.

"The evidence is that you sent this recording to one person, only one person ... this person to whom you sent the recording was the person who distributed it more widely," Ms Previtera said.

"I do hope this is a lesson to you and all other people in this kind of behaviour on social media, that it is highly destructive.

"This recording is derogatory of more than just the victim."

No conviction was recorded.

Click here to sign up to our newsletter for all the latest and breaking stories from Australia and around the world.