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Revenge porn convict Michael Bull posted sex tape online then faked cancer

Michael Bull posted a video of an ex-lover having sex with him before sending her more than 170 vile messages.

One of them told how he had told all his friends to watch the sex footage on a website, before telling her:

“Now you will be known as the girl who got ****** on the internet!”

Michael Bull
Michael Bull

His lawyer told Canterbury Crown Court the 26-year-old from St Luke’s Walk, Hawkinge, now regretted what he had done.

But Andrew Espley, defending, said that because it had been posted anonymously, Bull wasn’t able to get the video removed.

Judge Adele Williams asked the Crown Prosecution Service to “do everything” to delete to embarrassing movie.

The victim – who can’t be named for legal reasons – was an ex-girlfriend who had consented to their sex being filmed as long as it stayed private.

Bull sent his ex more than 170 vile messages
Bull sent his ex more than 170 vile messages

Prosecutor John Keal told how the two had been in a relationship when he recorded them being intimate.

“That was consensual on the basis it remained private and was not shared. What he did was to upload it to a pornographic website where it could be viewed by the public.”

He added: “He then subjected her to a barrage of messages on Facebook – in all about 170 or so - telling her she would be known to all her friends as the girl who was ****** on the internet.

"This was very serious conduct indeed. This was utterly disgraceful and done for revenge against her, causing her the greatest possible distress" - Judge Adele Williams, to Bull

“They were very unpleasant messages indeed and he also left voice messages calling her a rat," he added.

The victim told the court in a statement she had been left frightened by her experience and felt harassed.

Bull, who has previous convictions for breach of non-molestation orders, admitted a charge brought under the 2014 Criminal Justice Act outlawing revenge porn for the first time. He also admitted harassment.

An earlier hearing had to be been postponed after Bull told his lawyers he had a cancerous growth on his spine.

But after Judge Williams ordered a medical investigation it was revealed that Bull didn't have cancer.

The judge said: “I adjourned sentence in December after being told he had or may have had a tumour.

“Well he isn’t suffering from cancer and doesn’t have a tumour on his back. It turned out he had given a false account to his counsel who was representing him at the time.”

Andrew Espley, defending, said: “He knows what he did was wrong and he did it because he was angry.

Judge Adele Williams
Judge Adele Williams

“After he was arrested he felt guilty and tried to remove the video but couldn’t because he had posted it anonymously.”

Judge Williams jailed him for two years telling him: “This was very serious conduct indeed. This was utterly disgraceful and done for revenge against her, causing her the greatest possible distress.

“These offences show escalating behaviour on your part. You have shown no remorse or insight into your offending.”

The judge also ordered Bull to keep away from his ex-partner for five years.

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