A woman whose stalker ex leaked intimate photos of her online has welcomed the new amendment to the Online Safety Bill - but says we “still have a long way to go”. The Ministry of Justice announced that prosecutors will no longer have to prove intimate and explicit images had been leaked with intent to cause distress.
Karolina Smith, 26, was stalked and harassed by her ex-partner, Ben Rothon, 37. He posted “countless” intimate images of her on an Instagram account - which was shared to her friends and family.
In 2019, a judge found him guilty of stalking causing serious alarm or distress, including an offence for disclosing private sexual content, relating to naked images. He is also subject to a restraining order - which s valid for another six years. Karolina says the crime nearly led her to taking her own life - and she was “heartbroken” to have to prove it in court.
