Stalker jailed for Instagram revenge porn campaign against ex-girlfriend

A North London man has been sentenced to jail after he carried out a sustained revenge porn campaign against his ex-girlfriend using a fake Instagram account.

Cem Kucukbalaban, 21, was sentenced to 21 months behind bars after he was found guilty of harassment, stalking and disclosing private sexual photographs with intent to cause distress.

Authorities ordered that the devices he used to store and post the images of his ex-girlfriend be destroyed. Kucukbalaban was made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The defendant started sending messages to the victim and to follow her home after their three-month relationship ended, the court heard. He set up an Instagram account under her name which he used to post sexually explicit images of her.

Police said he had obtained the images without the victim's knowledge by using software to record the victim during a video call.

The victim reported the incidents to police and Kucukbalaban was arrested on 30 March. Investigators found images and screenshots on his phone that had been used for the fake Instagram account.

He was sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court on Tuesday (28 November).

"Kucukbalaban carried out a sustained and spiteful campaign of abuse against a vulnerable victim of domestic abuse and clearly intended to cause the victim great distress and fear," Detective Inspector Pete Dyche of Enfield CID, said.

"I hope that today's sentence allows her a measure of comfort that enables her to move on with her life."