Joshua Wells: ADHD medication caused revenge porn threats
A Sydney man who repeatedly threatened to post his girlfriends’ nude photos and videos online claims his behaviour was provoked by an incorrect dose of medication for hyperactivity, a court has heard.
A Sydney man who repeatedly threatened to post his girlfriends’ nude photos and videos online claims his behaviour was provoked by an incorrect dose of medication for hyperactivity, a court has heard.
Joshua Wells, 24, pleaded guilty at Sutherland Court to several charges of threatening to post graphic videos of sex acts involving his ex-girlfriends after they both broke up with him due to his erratic behaviour.
The Sutherland Shire man engaged with the first of his two girlfriends on Facebook after he broke up with his long term partner in 2017.
“On February 24, the accused and (the Engadine woman) spent time together,” the agreed police facts read.
“They have engaged in consensual oral sex and the victim alleges the accused asked to film the sexual act so he could send it to his ex-girlfriend.”
On March 2 Wells texted the Engadine woman saying “now I’m actually considering sending your videos, want to be a sick c*** let’s see when you sucking d*** goes viral haha”.
A day later, Wells threatened to go to the woman’s house and “wipe out her bloodline” after she reported the threats to police.
Wells dated his next girlfriend, a Colyton woman, for five weeks until November 2017.
“After the relationship ended, the accused sent the victim a text message containing two of the intimate images she had originally sent to the accused with captions,” the agreed police facts said.
Wells contacted the Colyton woman 197 times in seven days after they broke up, threatening to post her images online.
Wells’ solicitor Robert Kaufmann said he had effectively become a “speed addict” after his childhood doctor increased his dextroamphetamine prescription for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder well above the recommended dose
“He doesn’t take any illegal drugs but for a period of time he was essentially a speed addict,” Mr Kaufmann told the court.
“A young man with no prior offending suddenly engages in unacceptable behaviour to members of the community but – with respect – through no fault of his own.”
Magistrate Glenn Walsh adjourned Wells’ matter for sentence until May 2019 in order to see further evidence of his rehabilitation.
The medication issue was identified when Wells was taken into custody in the ACT on unrelated matters and went into withdrawal.
“It gave him the opportunity for a review and there was then a determination he was under the wrong regime,” the solicitor said.
“His conduct was erratic but it has adjusted back somewhat significantly.”
Wells’ partner and mother of their child, his mother and his stepfather provided character references to the court indicating they had seen the change in the young man.
“At age 23 and nine months, he had no criminal record,” Mr Kaufmann told the court.
“No images were ever posted but the threat was there and he pleads guilty to that.”
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