Lucas Azzopardi: Bondi Nutrition Station owner charged with intimate image threats

An eastern suburbs cafe owner threatened to post a woman’s nudes online after he read an American website which incorrectly indicated that was not a crime, a court has heard.

An eastern suburbs cafe owner repeatedly threatened to post a woman’s nude photos and leak false stories about her to the media, a court has heard.

Nutrition Station Bondi owner Lucas Azzopardi, 29, was charged with two counts of threatening to post intimate images without consent and intimidation in February 2022, with the woman telling police she lived in “constant fear” of him.

Documents tendered to Waverley Local Court state Azzopardi had repeatedly threatened to release private, intimate images of her, leak false stories that she was an escort and called her derogatory names.

The images had previously been provided to Azzopardi by the woman.

Lucas Azzopardi.

When Azzopardi threatened again to post her images on February 20, the victim threatened to go to the police.

“Enjoyi (sic) getting ducked (sic) then … my phone might get lost, or I can send it around,” Azzopardi responded.

“You even writing that is evidence,” the victim said.

“And not actually post it (cry laughing emoji) … it’s not illegal … if I show my mates,” Azzopardi responded.

“Do you realise how dumb you are,” the victim texted back.

Azzopardi then googled the offence, found an American web page saying it was not illegal, and texted a screenshot to the victim.

Threatening to disseminate someone’s intimate images without their consent is a criminal offence in NSW.

Azzopardi owns Nutrition Station in Bondi.

In a series of messages the day before, Azzopardi had also repeatedly called the woman a “c**t” and told her he had posted a nude picture of her on his Instagram story.

“Go look at my story haha you look good naked for escort services,” Azzopardi texted her.

The victim could not find any evidence he had posted the picture at the time.

“The victim states she lives in constant fear the accused will carry out his threats to release the private intimate images of her, and she feels anxious and depressed,” police facts state.

Through his solicitor Ahmed Dib, Azzopardi pleaded guilty to all three offences at Waverley Local Court and the matter was adjourned for sentence on June 29.

He pleaded not guilty to breaching an apprehended violence order imposed to protect the woman in April and that matter will be set down for a hearing at a future date.

Azzopardi returns to court in June.

The court heard Azzopardi was subject to a community corrections order imposed for steroid supply at the time of his offending.

Azzopardi was banned from using Instagram as part of his bail conditions due to the manner in which he threatened to post the woman’s nude photos.

Mr Dib made an application for this condition to be removed so Azzopardi could manage his business’ Instagram but this was opposed by prosecutor Scarlet O’Toole and denied by Magistrate Anthony Spence.