JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville man found guilty of posting sex videos of his ex-girlfriend on Snapchat without her consent will spend nine months in the Duval County Jail followed by three months of GPS monitoring.
On Thursday, a judge handed down the sentence after a verdict found him guilty last week.
The victim in the case said it’s an example of how things you do behind closed doors on camera today can come back to haunt you tomorrow.
Courtney Holland told News4JAX that she wants her story made public and is OK with being identified.
The 29-year-old man was sentenced to nine months in jail after he was found guilty of cybersexual harassment.
(Editor’s Note: The defendant in this case was convicted of a non-violent misdemeanor so News4JAX is choosing not to identify him.)
The video was posted after the two broke up. Although it was a consensual decision to make the video while they were a couple, the ex-boyfriend was never permitted to post the video on social media for the world to see.
Under Florida law, he willfully and maliciously committed a crime that caused substantial emotional distress to his ex-girlfriend.
“The saga of the sexual harassment I endured was not just a violation of my privacy. But also an assault on my dignity and sense of safety. It has left lasting scars both emotionally and physically that I will have to deal with for a very long time,” Holland said.
In addition to his sentencing, Holland’s ex will also be required to wear a GPS monitor for three months after he is released.
Holland told the court she feared her ex could retaliate against her for reporting him to police.
“Even after this case is resolved, the defendant will continue to target me directly or indirectly. This fear keeps me up at night and has led to me considering taking extreme precautions such as deleting my social media accounts, getting my phone number changed, installing extra security in my home, or even possibly selling or renting my home or leaving Florida altogether,” she said.
News4JAX Crime and Safety Analyst Tom Hackney said this incident is an example of how explicit but consensual activities recorded on video can come back to haunt someone if they get into the wrong hands.
“This is Snapchat. Billions of people. Not just in the city. Not just in the state. Not just in the U.S., but worldwide have access to that, and that gets shared. Once that bell gets rung, you can’t un-ring it,” Hackney said.