Liam Malcolm Wheeler pleaded guilty to distributing an image without consent

A young Sunshine Coast man has fronted court after he showed his friends an intimate video of a woman after she’d shown friends a photo of his penis. GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING.

A Sunshine Coast man has walked away with a significant fine after he pleaded guilty to committing “revenge porn”.

Liam Malcolm Wheeler, 20, pleaded guilty in Caloundra Magistrates Court on July 6, 2022, to distributing an image without consent.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Stu Lydford said Wheeler had received a personal Snapchat video from a young woman performing a “very intimate act”.

“The victim was nude and masturbating, the defendant has then sent a photo of himself sitting on the couch with five or six of his friends in the background, he’s replied saying ‘ha ha ha’,” Sergeant Lydford said.

The court heard a few days later the victim received a video from a mutual male friend which showed Wheeler showing at least two other friends the video of the victim.

“She did not give the defendant permission to show the video to other person,” Sergeant Lydford said.

“It’s a very serious breach of trust.”

Sergeant Lydford said Wheeler told officers during his interview that the woman had shown a photo he’d sent her of his penis to other people without his consent.

He said Wheeler’s act was essentially “revenge porn”.

Wheeler’s solicitor Rowena Ferrall said her client admitted showing the video was a “vengeful act”.

“It was a tit for tat kind of arrangement but he doesn’t want this to be a never ending cycle between them,” Ms Ferrall said.

“He is remorseful for his actions, he has assured me he won’t do this again and it’s not funny and it’s not okay.”

Magistrate Catherine Benson said she accepted the woman felt “horrified, ashamed and felt totally violated” by Wheeler’s actions.

“The fact that it was a tit for tat doesn't excuse it,” she said.

Wheeler was fined $1500 and no convictions were recorded against him.