The victim of the first man in the UK to be sentenced for revenge porn is campaigning for others to be given anonymity after she was named.
Keeley Richards-Shaw, 31, went to police after her ex-boyfriend, Alec Brewer, shared secret naked pictures of her with his new partner.
Under new laws, Brewer, 29, was convicted by Scarborough Magistrates Court, North Yorks., and was given a 13 week jail sentence, suspended for 12 months.
However, that was not the end of the ordeal for Keeley, a mum-of-one, and she was named and her picture used in nation-wide media.
Sex offence victims are given lifelong anonymity but a legal loophole means that this doesn’t apply to revenge porn victims and Keeley thinks this should change.
She said: “How is it fair that my name is thrown out there when I’m the victim?
“I had only told a few people about the court case before it happened but, by the end, I was having to get rid of national press from my doorstep.”
Barman Brewer was told by the court that he had committed an “unforgivable breach of trust” after he sent between seven and 15 images of Keeley to his new girlfriend – two of which showed her completely naked.
Keeley discovered what Brewer was doing after his new girlfriend screen shot the images and sent them to her.
But Keeley’s nightmare didn’t end after Brewer had his day in court and the landmark case made national headlines and came with added attention for the hardworking mum.
She said: “The whole thing wasn’t right, I hadn’t done anything wrong yet I was walking along the street with my daughter feeling paranoid that everyone knew these personal details about me.”
In a victim impact statement that was read out in court, Keeley said she felt “sick” that Brewer could have photographs of her like that.
She said: “I was scared that he would post them on the internet for everyone to see including my family.
“Pictures of me naked or semi naked are personal to me. I would never allow them to be taken.
“I’m extremely upset that he has done that.”
Keeley’s plight has caught the attention of North Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan, who says she has been concerned about this loophole for a while.
She said: “It is not right that victims of very personal, very distressing crimes can then be violated again by stories being played out in public.
“I will be getting people galvanized around the issue to see if we can fight for change in the law and to better support and protect victims of crime.”
For Keeley it’s all too little, too late – but she is determined to try to change the law for others.
She said: “I think there will be many victims that may not come forward to the police if a safety net isn’t in place to ensure they don’t feel ashamed.
“I’m calling for a change in the law and I will do everything I can to make sure others don’t go through what I have had to.”
