Maxine Gabrielle Vella, 45, sentenced for fake dating profile stalking
A 45-year-old Cairns real estate agent set up fake dating profiles to provoke men into sending illicit messages and images to her ex-husband’s former partner, a court has heard.
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A 45-year-old Cairns real estate agent set up fake dating profiles to provoke men into sending illicit messages and images to her ex-husband’s former partner, a court has heard.
Maxine Gabrielle Vella, 45, pleaded guilty to two charges of stalking and harassment after she created fake dating profiles using the names of her ex-husband’s former partner and photos of her daughter to bait sexually explicit messages to be sent to the woman’s phone number.
Police prosecutor Stewart Clyde-Smith told the court, from October to December 2024, Vella created a profile on Plenty of Fish using information about and pictures of the woman including referencing her profession as a teacher.
Vella then used the profile to ”sexually provoke men”, giving them the number of the complainant who received a number of illicit and unwanted messages and images.
“She was sitting with her partner when she began receiving messages,” he said.
“The texts were of an explicit nature and she was forced to change her mobile phone number.”
Mr Clyde-Smith said the woman was financially affected by the change in number as it was the number she had used for her work for more than 15 years, and as such lost opportunities for relief teaching positions.
He said another profile was created on the dating app tinder using the image of the woman’s 26-year-old daughter which was also used to message men providing the complainants phone number.
Vella’s defence counsel Nick Westcott told the court the woman had shown a “high level” of remorse and was under stress due to mental and physical health complications amid a marriage break down.
He said the behaviour was “inconsistent with her usual character” which was attested to in a number of character references provided to the court.
Magistrate Terence Brown said “general deterrence loomed high” in sentencing Vella.
“It is something very easy to do, with very real consequences for the complainant,” he said.
“You created these accounts and engaged in lengthy conversations with these men with the promise of ‘fun, fun, fun’.
“She did not know this was coming, it was very distressing and it involved her daughter.”
A conviction was recorded and Vella was sentenced to 18 months probation.
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Originally published as Maxine Gabrielle Vella, 45, sentenced for fake dating profile stalking
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