Jesse Hawthorne gets suspended jail term for 'revenge porn'

A transgender man posted a "revenge porn" picture of his ex-girlfriend online after she made fun of his plans to have gender reassignment surgery, a court heard.

Jesse Hawthorne, 23, from Caerphilly, posted the image on Facebook.

He previously admitted disclosing a private sexual photograph with the intention of causing distress.

He was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, at Newport Magistrates' Court.

The court heard Hawthorne posted the "extremely intimate" pictures after he and his victim ended their lesbian relationship.

They broke up because his girlfriend was unhappy about his plan to have gender reassignment surgery.

After Hawthorne posted the images, his victim said she felt "upset, distressed, alarmed, humiliated and abused", Jamie Dewar, prosecuting, told the court.

Rod Smith, defending, said Hawthorne posted the photographs after the victim made fun of his decision to have surgery on social media.

He added this was "probably" the first transgender "revenge porn" case in the UK.

Hawthorne was made the subject of a restraining order banning him from contacting his victim, including on social media, for two years.