COLCHESTER AND SOUTHEND MEN SENTENCED FOR REVENGE PORN
TWO men who shared intimate pictures of a woman after exchanging messages on social media showed “reprehensible” behaviour which left their victim afraid to go out in public.Alex Alvarez, 33, sent Matthew Carr, 26, explicit pictures and videos of the woman in 2023.
Carr, who had previously served a prison term for domestic abuse, then distributed the images online and later breached a non-molestation order previously imposed to prevent him contacting the victim, Colchester Magistrates’ Court heard.
Alvarez was given a suspended sentence and Carr was jailed.
Distribution - Alvarez shared the photos and videos before Carr shared them more widely.
Grace Court, prosecuting, said the victim became aware of what had happened when she was contacted on WhatsApp.
The person who messaged her said she had received the images from Carr.
The victim, on viewing the files which were sent to her, realised the pictures and videos had originally been taken and shared by Alvarez.
The court heard Carr also breached a non-molestation order by writing a comment on her TikTok which read: “You should mark yourself as ‘sale’, because that’s what you do’.” After the non-molestation order expired, Carr sent the woman a friend request and started sending derogatory messages to her new partner.
In a victim impact statement, she said although she consented to having the pictures and videos taken of her originally, she regretted her actions and did not expect Alvarez to keep them or distribute them.
The statement read: “After the images were sent [to me], I avoided going out – I got paranoid people had seen the images and would judge me.
I hope they both learn they can’t get away with this behaviour.” Alvarez, of Chapel Crescent, Colchester, admitted one charge of disclosing a private sexual photograph.
Lucy Osborn, mitigating, said: “It’s without doubt that Mr Alvarez is racked with guilt for what he did.
He absolutely accepts he is the instigator.” Alvarez was sentenced to 26 weeks in jail, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to pay £85 in prosecution costs as well as a £154 surcharge.
He must also serve a restraining order against his victim.
Carr, of Beresford Road, Southend, admitted one charge each of disclosing private sexual photographs to cause distress, sharing a photograph of a person in an intimate state, breaching a non-molestation order, and sending a communication of an offensive nature.
Chloe Goodey, mitigating, said: “At the time of the offence, he was in a really bad place.
He was working in a stressful job at a five-star restaurant and was finding the stress hard to cope with day to day.
He is a completely different person now and he feels very motivated to engage with probation.” Carr was sentenced to one year in jail and ordered to pay £85 in prosecution costs as well as a £154 surcharge.
Bench chair Steven Race said: “We asked ourselves if we could consider suspending a custodial sentence – the short answer is no, we are not.
What you have done here is reprehensible.”
