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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Neil Docking

Woman cried at ex boyfriend's Instagram revenge porn attacks

A jilted boyfriend set up fake Instagram accounts posing as his former partner to post naked pictures of her.

Andrew Rwakarehemuganyezi "bombarded" his victim with phone calls after she ended their six-year relationship.

The 25-year-old later logged into the woman's personal Instagram account, and another profile she ran to promote a makeup business, to share an ultrasound scan of a baby he was having with another woman.

However, the creep then created nearly 20 Instagram accounts to post "revenge porn" photos his ex had previously sent him.

Rwakarehemuganyezi, of Cherry Gardens, Kirkby, and the woman, who the ECHO has chosen not to name, broke up in February 2019.

Liverpool Crown Court heard "within days" Rwakarehemuganyezi began to "incessantly call" the victim, asking to get back together, until she blocked him.

Kevin Slack, prosecuting, said he then began making silent calls from unknown numbers and when challenged to speak, eventually revealed it was him.

The calls ended when she changed her mobile number in April last year, but on July 9 she discovered the pictures of a then unknown baby on her Instagram accounts.

She had posted her new mobile number on her business profile and was "bombarded" with more unwanted calls from Rwakarehemuganyezi, until she changed her number again.

From June 18 to July 17, he created five accounts, each using the victim's photo - some of them "intimate" images - as the profile picture.

Between July 25 and August 10, he created 14 more accounts, with one profile publishing 13 photos of the victim.

Mr Slack said: "This account was followed by 58 people and the account itself followed 1,000 other accounts - a step seemingly designed to ensure the existence of the account was widely known."

In total 15 different intimate photos were shared across the accounts.

Mr Slack said "concerned" friends and clients called the woman to say they had seen the images and each time she discovered a new account, she immediately contacted Instagram, who would remove it.

He said the victim told police she and Rwakarehemuganyezi had even discussed how awful revenge porn was during their relationship.

Mr Slack said: "She specifically states the defendant expressed the view that was a very bad thing to do and she accordingly states she had never felt any risk in sharing the images with him."

Phone records showed Rwakarehemuganyezi made 15 more silent calls to his victim between July 21 and August 13.

He voluntarily attended Huyton Police Station on August 21 and after "lengthy denials", confessed to posting the photos.

Law on revenge porn

Mr Slack said: "He initially claimed he did this while high on cannabis and then he asserted he had done it because she had shared intimate photographs of him with her friends and he had done that in retaliation.

"The Crown make it plain, that is not accepted by the prosecution and police have in fact spoken to the victim to establish her response to that suggestion.

"She was most upset to hear it and vehemently denied ever sharing any images of this defendant."

Rwakarehemuganyezi told officers the ultrasound scan was his own baby he was expecting with his new partner.

The victim said the ordeal made her pre-existing anxiety much worse and she felt "completely helpless".

Every time she saw the new Instagram accounts she cried, including on a family holiday, when she broke down in tears.

She said it was "horrible", affected her sleep, made her constantly worry and new accounts seemed to appear daily.

The woman said: "I just wanted to curl up into a ball and not go out."

She added: "I know some of my friends have seen the photos and the thought of that is horrifying."

Rwakarehemuganyezi admitted disclosing a private sexual photograph or film without consent intending to cause distress.

The new dad, who also admitted harassment, has one previous conviction for motoring offences, including drug driving.

John Rowan, defending, said the couple were in a "loving" relationship and when it ended, his client "suffered emotionally" and found it "difficult" to come to terms with.

Mr Rowan said: "He responded to the end of that relationship in a completely inappropriate, serious and awful way."

The lawyer said Rwakarehemuganyezi was "genuinely sorry" for what he put the victim through.

He said: "No matter what the reason for the end of that relationship was, it did not excuse or justify him for behaving in the manner in which he did."

Mr Rowan said Rwakarehemuganyezi hoped the person he loved for six years "and still hopes and cares for" could "in some way forgive him".

Andrew Rwakarehemuganyezi left his victim feeling "completely helpless" (Liverpool Echo)

He said his client worked "extremely hard" as a chef to support his new partner and has caring responsibilities for both their six-month-old baby and her five-year-old daughter.

Mr Rowan said there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation and sending him to prison would have a "serious detrimental impact" on these dependants.

Judge Garrett Byrne said Rwakarehemuganyezi's actions over a prolonged time caused his victim "very serious distress".

He said: "There were many intimate photos that you posted - you posted 15 in total - and you posted them by creating Instagram accounts to maximise their visibility.

"There was in my view a high degree of planning and determination about your conduct."

The judge said he was "very conscious" jailing Rwakarehemuganyezi would have a "real impact" on two young children.

However, he said: "In my view these offences are all too prevalent. We find them coming in front of these courts time and time again, and they are very serious, and deterrence should be uppermost in the court's mind."

Can you help us keep Merseyside covered?

Judge Byrne jailed Rwakarehemuganyezi for six months and ordered the forfeiture and destruction of electronic equipment seized from his home.

He also imposed an indefinite restraining order, which prevents him from contacting his victim, or making any reference to her online.

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