Sacked employee convicted after posting 'revenge porn' of boss to wife's Facebook
A young British woman has been convicted of posting "revenge porn" for sharing naked pictures of her former boss on his wife's business Facebook page after being fired.
Kaylea Reid, 26, of Ipswich in the UK, began "sexting" her then manager Robert Page, 30, while she was employed as a support worker at learning disability charity Affinity Trust, in November last year.
The young woman split up with her long-term boyfriend in March this year and initially sought Mr Page as "a shoulder to cry on," Ipswich Magistrates' Court heard.
The pair struck up a friendship that developed into exchanging messages via SMS and on social media, which then lead to "flirtatious" text messages and then "sexting," where the pair exchanged intimate photos, prosecutor David Bryant said.
Their relationship evolved to the pair "hugging, cuddling and kissing" and "fondling" one another in September last year, just weeks after Mr Page married Tara Linscer, the Daily Mail UK reported.
"It was not really a relationship," Reid said.
"He was really providing a shoulder for me to cry on, but he took advantage of me because he was a manager at my work."
Reid's defence attorney Paul Booty said Mr Page texted his client when he got married, telling her he wished she was his wife instead.
The young woman said she was laid off due to her anxiety and depression issues, but suspected Mr Page could have passed on concerns about her mental health to management, leading to the decision.
The day after Reid lost her job in October this year, she posted two sexual photographs of her former boss on the Facebook page for Broadwater Tool Supplies, where the man's new wife was a director.
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Reid also tagged Mr Page's colleagues and clients in the post so the pictures would be brought to their attention.
It is believed up to 4,000 people could have seen the images, Bryant said.
Reid said she wanted to show Mr Page's wife what had been going on between them, with the intention of causing Mr Page distress.
"But I just wanted his wife to see that it was her husband. She can't deny the fact that it was him. He can't keep lying and getting away with it. He told me that he wanted me to be his wife, not her.
"I was so overwhelmed, upset and angry that I didn't know what to do."
She ignored requests from Affinity management to take down the pictures, but they were eventually removed later the same day, possibly by Facebook or Mrs Page.
Reid was given a "conditional discharge" or suspended sentence for six months, and ordered to pay a victim surcharge fee of $32.
The Australian government is cracking down on so called "revenge porn" with new laws introduced in WA, Victoria, SA and NSW to criminalise the serious breach of privacy.
Under laws, anyone who cyber-stalks or posts revenge porn online to blackmail or humiliate their current or former partner can face a two-year jail term.
Speaking ahead of a COAG National Summit to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children in late October, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he was working to build an acton plan to address the long overdue issue of domestic violence.
The Third Action Plan, which is being tabled, includes measures such as setting up a portal to streamline authorities dealing with so-called "revenge porn".
Mr Turnbull said the Federal Government was working with the states and territories to get action on the issue.
If you or someone you know is suffering from sexual or domestic abuse, don't suffer in silence, call the National sexual assault helpline1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 732 any time of day or night.'
