Ex-teacher jailed over 'vindictive' revenge porn

A "vindictive" former teacher who secretly filmed a woman as they had sex and later posted images from the videos in busy public places has been jailed.

Curtis Clarke, 39, recorded the pair's encounters on his phone and put screenshots on a pub toilet wall and at a bus stop in Carlisle when she tried to cut contact with him.

They included the woman's name, address and phone number along with graphic descriptions which amounted to "an apparent advertisement for sexual favours", Carlisle Crown Court was told.

Clarke, who admitted two revenge porn offences and was found guilty of a further four following a trial, was sentenced to 29 months in prison.

Clarke's fingerprints were found on the pub toilet poster and CCTV captured him in that area.

The videos were recovered from a storage device after his arrest.

Prosecutor Tim Evans told the court the illegally obtained footage had been sensitively edited during earlier court proceedings in a bid to limit the victim's ordeal when giving evidence.

However, one video had to be played in its "original, uncensored form" to refute bogus claims made by the defendant.

Jurors also heard Clarke made requests to the woman for intimate images which she refused to provide.

In an impact statement read by Mr Evans, the woman outlined the "overwhelming damage" inflicted on her and explained she had been left feeling "crushed inside".

Clarke, previously of Carlisle and latterly of Grovebury Farm Close, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, wrote a letter of apology which the woman had said she would not read, regarding it as "insulting".

"This is typical of him, trying to manipulate the situation," she had added.

Defence barrister Ben Berkson told the court Clarke, who is the primary carer for a three-month old child, was suspended from the secondary school where he worked following his arrest and later sacked.

Judge Nicholas Barker described him as "exploitative".

He added: "It was calculated [behaviour], it was deeply malicious and it was designed by you to be vindictive and to have lasting impact on her - and it is clear that it did."

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