Lanarkshire man avoids jail over ‘revenge porn’

A TWISTED boyfriend who secretly recorded his girlfriend as they had sex and then put a picture on Facebook when they split up has walked free from court.

Robert McGinlay leaves court. Picture: Sam Hardie

Robert McGinlay, 20, of Lanarkshire, put a photograph of him and Jodie Carrigan, 19, onto the site where it could be seen by hundreds of people.

They had been in an on-off relationship but split around Christmas 2013.

But Jodie, of Muirhead, near Glasgow, was left devastated when shocked pals contacted her to say there was an explicit picture of her and McGinlay on Facebook.

Jodie Carrigan. Picture: Sam Hardie

She begged him to take it down but he refused and she called the police.

He admitted acting in a threatening or abusive manner and causing fear or alarm towards Jodie by posting a sexually graphic image of her on a social media website in December 2013.

At Airdrie Sheriff Court McGinlay was fined £400 and ordered to pay Jodie £400 in compensation.

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Defence lawyer Mark Lutton said: “He does not excuse his behaviour, it was inappropriate and he regrets it.

“He was in a relationship and he reacted badly to the split and reacted totally inappropriately.

“He has attempted to heal the damage he has caused but he admits he had set out to embarrass the complainer.”

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Brave Jodie has waived her legal right to anonymity to blast McGinlay and issue a warning to other unsuspecting women.

She said: “Within weeks of the relationship starting he was acting weird. He was very possessive and always wanting to know where I had been.

“But then he sent a text me telling me to look at Facebook. I was totally horrified and humiliated that he had done this. I had no idea he had been filming us. It was such a betrayal.”

McGinlay, a warehouse worker, told officers he put up the picture out of spite after the relationship ended.

Brave Jodie has a new partner but revealed she has a strict no phones rule in the bedroom and has issued a warning to other women.

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She added: “I have a new partner that I live with, but there’s a lot of trust issues within the relationship. I have a no phone rule in the bedroom if we’re going to be together.

“In my circumstances I didn’t know but a lot of girls allow it and don’t expect a guy they trusted to go and do it so all I can say is be careful.

“Just be aware of what’s happening around you in the bedroom and anywhere else for that matter.”

Sheriff Petra Collins said: “You do not need me to spell out to you that this was a spiteful and hurtful thing to do to your former girlfriend.

“It is very serious but there is a lot to be said in mitigation and I will need to deal with this by way of a fine and compensation.”

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McGinlay was order to pay his fine and compensation at £100 a month but escaped being placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

McGinlay had not guilty pleas accepted to charges he posted a sex video of him and Jodie on Christmas Day and sent sexual written communications to Jodie.

The Scottish government is planning to introduce a new law to tackle revenge pornography.

It intends to make it a specific criminal offence to publish explicit images of someone without their consent.

New legislation has already been drawn up for England and Wales.

McGinlay refused to comment.

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