A MAN posted pictures of his ex-girlfriend in her underwear on her Facebook account and bombarded her with e-mails and telephone calls when they split up.
Andrew Bird left the pictures of his ex on the social networking site, called her 69 times and sent her 44 e-mails and 16 text messages last October, Nottingham Magistrates' Court heard.
His harassment of the teenager, with whom he started a relationship online when she just 16, stopped when she went to police and Bird was arrested.
He pleaded guilty to harassment without violence, claiming it was a loving relationship with consensual sexual contact.
The couple had previously conducted their relationship online for two years and pictures were sent between them before they met.
When she decided she wanted to end the relationship, he threatened to post pictures of her online.
He carried out his threat when she did not respond to his "bullying and blackmailing" text messages, the court was told.
District Judge Morris Cooper said the teenager involved was a vulnerable and immature young lady when she started the relationship.
Bird, 33, of Addison Road, Carlton, was older and may have had a "distorted perception of the relationship" which he exploited, the judge said.
"It was only when she went to university and formed some friendships that she was able to share her concerns," said Judge Cooper. "She mustered the courage, with the support of her friends, to go to police."
Posting the pictures on Facebook had caused her a "great deal" of psychological harm, degradation and humiliation, said the judge.
He imposed an 18-week prison sentence, suspended for one year, and ordered that Bird be supervised by the Probation Service and carry out 60 hours of community work.
Bird was also given a restraining order banning him from contacting the teenager, who is now at the University of Reading, or posting any material about her on the internet or social networking sites.
Bird, who claims Jobseeker's Allowance, was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £80 and prosecution costs of £200.
Paul Wright, in mitigation, said: "His plea has been on the basis that it was a loving relationship from his point of view, where there was some consensual sexual contact."
Judge Cooper told him: "It's a question of perception rather than reality probably."
Mr Wright said there was contact between them for two years before they met and since then they had met several times. "As far as he is concerned, he is in love with her and proposed marriage to her. That was the perception."
