Louis Wicherts: Convicted of posting intimate image without consent on Instagram

A tatted up hipster has received a jail sentence for posting a nude photo of a woman known to him on Instagram. A court has heard the victim felt “violated, intimidated and distressed”.

Louis Arthur Wicherts outside Downing Centre District Court on Thursday.

A lawyer for a tatted up hipster who received a jail sentence for posting to Instagram a nude photo of a woman known to him has played down the seriousness of the crime, as it was only a single image of “the young lady’s bare buttocks”.

Louis Arthur Wicherts, 44, of Redfern, appeared in Downing Centre District Court to appeal the severity of the 12-month intensive correction order, or a jail sentence served in the community, after pleading guilty to intentionally distribute intimate image without consent in January.

The crown prosecutor told the court the victim was made aware of the nude image posted online after she received a text message from a friend.

He told the court the photo was not posted as a mistake, it was done on purpose, saying “it was designed to embarrass the victim” where the agreed facts say she felt “violated, intimidated and distressed”.

Wicherts’ lawyer Mr Maxton said the offending was short-lived, being a single image was posted on a private social media account, and made clear it didn’t contain the victim’s genitalia.

Wicherts appealed his sentence at Downing Centre District Court. Picture: Nikki Short

Mr Maxton said the threshold for a jail sentence was not crossed, although conceded his client had an extensive criminal history and was jailed in 2016 for break and enter.

This prompted Judge Graeme Henson to point out Wicherts “interaction with the criminal justice system” had spanned about 20 years.

Mr Maxton told the court his client’s likelihood of reoffending was significantly reduced and he was making steps to address his mental health and drug use.

He said an “extensive community corrections order would make sure that Wicherts was punished”.

Judge Henson said general deterrence was significant as this type of offending was widespread and he must consider the impact on the victim.

“That outcome will not disappear from her memory … she will endure the humiliating conduct … for the foreseeable future, the impact is significant … [and] as I said [it is] despicable conduct,” he said.

He ultimately dismissed the severity appeal, and confirmed the conviction and sentence.