Schools pornography ring: Teen victim Sarah says she complained to police, but didn’t get support

A TEEN victim of an online pornography ring targeting NSW schools has said she complained to police a year ago about images of her online, but failed to get proper support.

• COPS INVESTIGATE ONLINE PORNOGRAPHY RING
• VICTIM: IT WAS LIKE I WAS BEING SOLD
• SCHOOLS WARN OF DANGERS OF ADDICTION
• ONLINE PORN IS DESTROYING OUR CHILDREN

A TEENAGE victim of an online pornography ring targeting dozens of NSW schools has said she complained to police a year ago, but failed to get proper support.

Sarah, 18, spoke out yesterday after her photographs emerged on the website targeting schoolgirls and women across Australia.

The Baird government is under renewed pressure to act on the issue of malicious pornography and other gross invasions of privacy, after the horrific revelations that the graphic images were being shared.

Police were still working with international authorities to have the overseas-based website taken down.

Sarah, trusted a guy when she was 15 and sent him images / Picture: Chris Pavlich

Sarah sent intimate Snapchat photos to a fellow student she trusted at Mount View High School, in the Hunter Valley, three years ago when she was only 15 and was horrified when he shared them with his friends.

She said he received a three-day suspension, but she was “slut shamed” for a year.

Then, in July last year, Sarah saw the images online.

She went to police but claimed she was forced to contact the website administrators herself to get the photographs taken down. The photos have again been uploaded in the past fortnight.

Sarah said he received a three-day suspension, but she was “slut shamed” for a year / Picture: Chris Pavlich

“It is scary thinking those photos are out there. It is disgusting. I know so many girls who are on that website, there would have to be 20 of them and they were all underage,” Sarah said.

A NSW Police spokeswoman said they took all reports of online abuse, threats and harassment seriously.

“In NSW it is a criminal offence to take, transmit or possess images that are considered child abuse material of a person under 18 years,” she said.

“The dissemination of any material depicting nudity or sexual activity involving young people could constitute a criminal offence.”

An Education Department spokesman said schools took disciplinary action when students distributed inappropriate images, and notified police.

A parliamentary inquiry was established last year to try to tackle privacy invasion — but none of its seven recommendations have been implemented. The Baird government is expected to respond to the inquiry’s recommendations on September 6.

Sarah went to police but claimed she was forced to contact the website administrators herself to get the photographs taken down / Picture: Chris Pavlich

Tiahna Prosser is also one of hundreds of victims.

FULL LIST OF NSW SCHOOLS IDENTIFIED ON THE SITE

Blaxland High School

Colo High School

Eastview High School

Elderslie High School

Elizabeth Macarthur High School

Francis Greenway High School

Grafton High School

Greenpoint Christian College

Holsworthy High School

Ingleburn High School

John Therry Catholic High School

Lake Munmorah High School

Leumeah High School

Lisarow High School

Magdelene Catholic High School

Maitland High School

Mount Annan High NSW

Mullumbimby High School

Plumpton High School

Rutherford Technology High School

South Grafton High School

St Catherine’s Catholic College, Singleton

St Lukes Grammar School

St Patricks College, Campbelltown

The Jannali High School

Thomas Hassall Anglican College

Turramurra High School

Wenona

Wyong High School