A court has sentenced a 55-year-old man from the Turin area to two years in prison after he spent 12 years posting intimate photos and videos of his former partner on social media without her knowledge or consent. The sentence was suspended.
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According to Italian media, he created groups on Facebook and Telegram, using fake names and pseudonyms to share the intimate material. In these groups, the woman was subjected to insulting comments and online abuse by dozens of men, including people who lived in the same area as the couple.
The truth came to light entirely by chance when the woman checked her partner’s phone because she suspected he was cheating on her. There, she found dozens of intimate photos and videos of herself. She had privately sent him some of them at his request, while she did not know that others had been recorded.
After discovering the material, she went to the Carabinieri accompanied by a friend and filed a complaint against her former partner.
The Ivrea prosecutor’s office opened an investigation into the 55-year-old for the illegal distribution of intimate images, known as “revenge porn,” as well as for abuse. Authorities have identified around 60 users of the groups where the material was shared.
The accused accepted a two-year sentence through a plea-bargaining procedure known as “patteggiamento.” He was granted mitigating circumstances, and the suspension of his sentence was made conditional on his attending a rehabilitation program for men with abusive behavior. He also paid his former partner €5,000 in compensation.
Although the case has concluded with a ruling, the woman continues to face serious psychological and social consequences. She is considering moving away because she fears she may be recognized by people who saw the intimate material.
“The harm she has suffered to date is immeasurable and severe. A civil case will be needed to determine everything my client has endured and continues to endure,” her lawyer said, according to Italian media.
The woman is also receiving help from psychologists, who are supporting her in understanding that she is not responsible for the abuse she experienced.
“I thought he wanted to keep those files on his phone, that it was just a game. I was completely manipulated,” she is reported to have said.
The incident has shocked the small community where the couple lived. According to reports, many people knew that the intimate material was being shared, while the woman had no idea what had been happening for years.
