Police decision to caution man after uploading revenge porn pictures of 15-year-old girl sparks outrage

'It’s terrible that he has not gone through the justice system. It caused her real distress'

Revenge porn is a term used to describe sexually explicit media that is publicly shared online without the consent of the pictured individual (Getty)

The mother of 15-year-old girl who was a victim of revenge porn, has described the police’s decision only to caution the offender as “absolutely disgusting”, in light of evidence he targeted at least four other victims over several months.

The woman said the perpetrator lifted pictures of her daughter from Facebook, altered them with sexual imagery and uploaded them onto a pornography site.

She also claims the man made threatening phone calls to her daughter referencing sexual acts.

Police arrested a 36-year-old man of Eastbourne, East Sussex on 27 April after receiving complaints from four victims in Eastbourne, including the teenager, that images had been posted onto the porn site without their consent.

The man admitted to the offences, which took place over five months. He was cautioned by Sussex Police for one offence of revenge porn and three related offences, relating to the four complaints.

Police said they are reviewing allegations of a similar offence made by a fifth woman, but no crime has been recorded.

The teenager's mother, who remains unnamed for legal reasons, told the Guardian her daughter was made aware of the images after being contacted by another victim.

The teenager reported her complaints to the police who gave her a crime reference number and interviewed her. Police later told her daughter the man had been given a caution but not charged.

The mother said: “I think it’s absolutely disgusting… Who knows if he is doing this to other girls. It’s terrible that he has not gone through the justice system. It caused her real distress.”

Revenge porn is a term used to describe sexually explicit media that is publicly shared online without the consent of the pictured individual. Posting revenge porn images and videos online became a criminal offence in England and Wales in 2015, with offenders facing up to two years in jail.

A BBC Freedom of Information request from 31 forces in England and Wales between April and December 2015, found children as young as 11 are among more than 1,000 alleged victims of revenge porn who reported offences in the first year of the new law coming into effect.

It found around 11 per cent of the reported offences resulted in the alleged perpetrator being charged, while 7 per cent resulted in a caution.

Laura Higgins, from the Revenge Porn Helpline, told the Independent: “For first time offenders a caution may be suitable, but in this case a catalogue of offences including contacting the victim by telephone points to more concerning obsessive, stalking behaviour, which happened over a long period of time. I don’t think a caution sends a good message and it is not deterrent."

A Sussex Police spokesman told the Sun: “The decision to caution the suspect was made by police.

“This decision fits the national framework for out-of-court disposals, and simple cautions are available for adults for any offence, including some serious offences.”

The Independent has contacted Sussex Police for comment.