A CONTROLLING man threatened to stab a woman, called her hundreds of times a day and uploaded topless images of her to a Facebook online selling group.

James George Anthony Walsh embarked on his reign of terror over his victim at the start of 2018 after he had been released from prison.

But when the woman ignored his constant calls and texts, Walsh posted intimate pictures of her to an online selling forum before sending another photo directly to her employers.

The 28-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of disclosing a private sexual photograph but not guilty to a second, meaning he was taken to trial by prosecutors in May.

There he was found guilty by a jury of the second count and he appeared before Preston Crown Court to be sentenced for his crimes.

Prosecuting, Ms Catherine Ellis said: “The defendant sent the victim a screenshot illustrating that he had posted indecent images to an online selling website including photos of her breasts.

“The victim felt very violated but the images were deleted shortly after by the defendant.

“Still, she was mortified and felt as though he was trying to control her with the images.”

Two days later, the court heard how Walsh sent the same images to the woman’s own personal email account and also to her employer – but the woman’s boss never opened the email.

Ms Ellis added: “The way in which this was conducted was to cause maximum distress.

“In her victim statement she speaks about how the man was ‘ruining her life’ and making her miserable.”

Walsh’s defence barrister Mr Jacob Dyer told the court how the defendant had been in receipt of a large sum of compensation shortly before he started terrorising his victim.

He added that his client had been drinking heavily and taking drugs, adding: “Things got out of hand and he admits that he was in a bad place.

"There was also clearly jealousy here.”

Walsh was sentenced to an 18-month community order and must complete 150 hours of unpaid work.

He must also attend a building better relationship programme and undertake 15 days' rehabilitation activity days.

The non-consensual publication of intimate images, also known as revenge porn, only became an offence in England in 2015 and the rest of the UK in 2016.