Latest news with #sextape
ABC News
2 days ago
- ABC News
Call for mandatory jail time for people who secretly film sexual acts
Sexual assault prevention campaigners are calling for mandatory sentencing for those who produce and share sex tapes without consent after a Victorian man was fined $5,000 for secretly filming himself having sex with a woman he met online. Mildura man Jarrod Aiello, 24, pleaded guilty in Mildura Magistrates' Court last week to producing an image of the intimate moment without the woman's consent. The court heard Aiello hid a camera in his wardrobe to record a woman during sex without her knowledge or consent. A charge of distributing the sex tape was withdrawn by police last week. Aiello's lawyer told the court Aiello blamed his friends for sharing the video after they allegedly accessed his phone, and denied doing it himself. The court heard the woman had suffered immense personal distress after the video was shared widely in her community. Sexual Assault Services Victoria chair Kate Wright said there should be harsher penalties for those convicted of image-based sexual abuse. "$5,000 is really not a significant amount of money," she said. Ms Wright called on police to find and charge those responsible for sharing the video. Ms Wright is also leading the call for image-based sexual abuse crimes to carry a mandatory jail term. Detective Inspector David Rowe, from Mildura police, told the ABC that detectives had searched Aiello's phone, and needed more information. "Police have reviewed all the available evidence regarding the distribution of the video in question, including interrogating the accused's mobile telephone," Inspector Rowe said. "At this time, police will not be continuing to investigate the matter unless further information becomes available." He said anyone with information about who shared the video should call Crime Stoppers. The court heard Aiello was a part of the Irymple Football Club and had been an active player until this year. The victim told the court the video had been sent through football club chats. The charge of producing a sex tape carries a maximum penalty of three years' jail, while distributing an intimate image without consent attracts a maximum two years' jail. But the police prosecutor told the Mildura Magistrates Court there was confusion over what an appropriate sentence was. Mallee Sexual Assault Unit and Domestic Violence Services chief executive Leigh Rhode praised the victim and police for pursuing the case. "The fine or the sentencing itself isn't the only deterrent for him [Aiello]," Ms Rhode said. "The fact that he has a conviction … now is significant. Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny backed Victoria's laws criminalising sexual violence, saying the state was one of the first in Australia to criminalise image-based sexual abuse. "We know image-based sexual abuse can cause deep and lasting harm and is a serious breach of privacy, trust and safety," she said. "These changes included a new court power to order the disposal of an intimate image — to stop perpetrators from re-offending using the same material." Mildura-based lawyer and former State MP Ali Cupper also called on police to prosecute those who shared the video. "I do believe that video was circulating among some of those footy circles in Mildura and Robinvale. "So, it certainly concerns me about the nexus between the treatment of women, the sense of entitlement to treat women like this and local footy or sporting culture." Anti-violence survivor Kim O'Reilly founded It's Never OK, which accredits clubs with taking part in a domestic violence prevention and management program. She said many women had expressed their disappointment in the $5,000 fine given to Aiello. The Irymple Football Club has been contacted for comment.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Daily Mail
Ex-footy player's two-week affair with a married woman turns vile after he commits incredibly grubby act as judge blasts his 'terrible betrayal'
A former footy player who turned a married woman's life 'upside down' after secretly filming a sex tape has been fined. Jarrod Aiello, 24, fronted Mildura Magistrates' Court, in Victoria's north-west, on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to one count of producing an intimate image. The court heard he started a sexual relationship with the married woman, 40, in January after meeting her on Instagram. The pair had a two-week affair, and when the relationship ended, a video of them having sex was shared online. Aiello, a former Irymple Football Club player, had filmed the sex tape by hiding a secret camera in a wardrobe. In an emotional victim impact statement, the woman said the video 'completely turned her, and her family's life, upside-down'. 'I'm here to stand up for myself today, and every other girl or woman that has been in this situation but has been too scared to speak up or hasn't had the resources to get help,' she said, the ABC reported. Aiello had denied distributing the video and claimed it was taken from his phone without his knowledge. When he was arrested in March, he told officers the video was filmed with the woman's consent, before finally admitting she didn't know. The court heard Aiello had also shared several intimate photos of her, sent through Snapchat, with several people. She learnt about the video weeks later when her sister called after hearing of it. Since the video emerged, her marriage has broken down and the video has spread like 'wildfire' through the towns of Mildura and Robinvale. It was also shared in several football group chats. 'That day my whole world fell to the floor,' the victim said. 'People I know, people I thought were friends, passed this video around like I was nothing, with not even a thought of how it would affect me and my family.' Her children were also made aware of the video and were teased at school, leaving the woman feeling suicidal. When she confronted Aiello, he 'gaslighted her' and said there was 'nothing to worry about'. Defence lawyer Bert Hilton-Wood argued Aiello believed he had consent to film the video and apologised to the victim four times before the video was reported to police. Magistrate Patrick Southey noted it was 'always hard to tell' if an accused was sincere in their remorse or just upset they got caught. 'Having taken the video, he just had to tell his mates about it,' Mr Southey said. 'It has ruined the victim's life, and affected her children. It's utterly humiliating and a terrible betrayal and breach of trust.' Aiello pleaded guilty to one count of producing an intimate image, which has a maximum sentence of three years behind bars in Victoria. Mr Southey noted his early plea and lack of prior offences. Aiello was fined $5,000 and ordered to pay nearly $100 in court costs. Lifeline 13 11 14
ABC News
7 days ago
- ABC News
Mildura man fined for using hidden camera to film sex tape without consent
A Mildura man who secretly filmed an intimate act with a woman using a camera hidden in a wardrobe has been sentenced with a fine. Mildura Magistrates Court heard Jarrod Aiello, 24, met a 40-year-old woman over Instagram in January, before the pair met to have sex. The court heard Aiello had secretly set up a camera in a wardrobe to film the couple. The woman told the court the sex tape had "completely turned her, and her family's life, upside-down". "I'm here to stand up for myself today, and every other girl or woman that has been in this situation but has been too scared to speak up or hasn't had the resources to get help," she said. She told the court intimate images sent to Aiello on Snapchat had also been shared with multiple people. The court heard the woman became aware of the video weeks later, when her sister called her after finding out about it to see if her marriage was okay. The victim told the court her marriage had since broken down, and the video had been shared "like wildfire" around Mildura and Robinvale, and in football group chats. "That day my whole world fell to the floor," she said. Defence lawyer Bert Hilton-Wood told the court his client believed the filming was consensual. Aiello pleaded guilty to one count of producing an intimate image, which carries a maximum sentence of three years' jail time in Victoria. The court heard a charge of distributing the video was dropped because Aiello said others shared it around after they accessed his phone. The victim told the court when she confronted Aiello about the video, he "gaslighted her" and said there was "nothing to worry about". Mr Hilton-Wood told the court there were four instances of him saying "sorry" before the crime was reported to police. Magistrate Patrick Southey said it was "always hard to tell" if an accused was genuinely remorseful or upset they got caught. Magistrate Southey noted Aillo had never been in trouble with the law before, and said had he not pleaded guilty, he would have sent him to jail "for the cruel breach of trust". Aiello was convicted and fined $5,000, and ordered to pay nearly $100 in court costs.
ABC News
17-07-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
From potential PM to abuse claims: Who is Mark Latham?
He once had a chance at the top job in the nation — now Mark Latham is defending himself against allegations of domestic abuse and being involved in a sex tape in his NSW parliamentary office. The former federal Labor leader-turned-One Nation firebrand is facing mounting political pressure following media reports he took photos of female colleagues speaking in parliament and made disparaging comments about them in private messages. He strongly denies the abuse allegations, which are yet to be tested in a civil court apprehended violence order (AVO) application by his former partner Nathalie Matthews. It marks a dramatic new chapter in the story of a man from the western suburbs of Sydney who was once a protégé of Gough Whitlam, had a shot at becoming prime minister, and has long courted controversy. Mr Latham first entered elected office in 1987 as a councillor on Liverpool Council before being elected mayor in 1991. Mr Latham had received an early boost in his political aspirations with the backing of Gough Whitlam, having worked as a research assistant for the former prime minister and eventually being elected in his former electorate of Werriwa. He was included in Labor's shadow cabinet in 1996 but resigned from the frontbench in 1998 following a dispute with then-leader Kim Beazley. In 2001 he was accused of an altercation in which he allegedly broke a Sydney taxi driver's arm. However, that incident did not affect his political ambitions. In 2003, Mr Latham narrowly won a leadership battle with Mr Beazley 47 votes to 45 votes and he went on to lead Labor to the 2004 election. While riding high in the polls early in his leadership, Mr Latham's approval ratings steadily declined throughout 2004. And it was an aggressive handshake on election eve with then-PM John Howard outside an ABC radio studio that many — including his supporters — blame for his electoral defeat, delivering the Howard government a historic fourth term. Michael Byrne has known Mr Latham for decades — a longtime community campaigner in Liverpool, he helped get Mr Latham elected to local government in the 1980s and attended his wedding, sitting alongside Mr Whitlam and his wife, Margaret. Mr Byrne told the ABC while he would have made a "tremendous" prime minister, the handshake "showed a side of Mark that was there". "He's got the larrikin about him, a tremendous mind on public matters. I think he would have been tremendous (but) he played the game tough." Mr Latham quit politics a few months after his defeat and published his political memoir, The Latham Diaries, in 2005, which savaged his former Labor colleagues and attracted widespread criticism from party figures. In 2006, the Daily Telegraph newspaper accused him of injuring one of its photographers and smashing his camera. Mr Latham responded at the time, alleging stalking and harassment by the newspaper. His time after federal politics also saw him become a regular media commentator, penning newspaper columns and co-hosting programs on Sky News and often critiquing Labor policies and figures. In 2015, he resigned as a regular columnist for the Australian Financial Review after it emerged he had been using a Twitter account to ridicule prominent women in the media, along with Australian of the Year and domestic violence campaigner Rosie Batty. The former Labor leader was then sacked from Sky News in 2017 after suggesting a Sydney high school student was gay on-air because he was involved in a feminist video. That same year, he announced his intention to run again for electoral politics. Mr Latham joined the Liberal Democrats Party, which prompted NSW Labor to place a lifetime ban on him ever rejoining the party. Soon after, he quit the Liberal Democrats and joined Pauline Hanson's One Nation party in a successful bid for a seat in the NSW upper house in 2019. Mr Latham had run on a platform of curbing immigration and overdevelopment — and controversially proposed a law requiring claimants for Aboriginal welfare programs to get a DNA test to prove their eligibility. After being elected to the NSW Legislative Council and serving as the state leader of One Nation, in 2023 he resigned from parliament halfway through his eight-year term and re-nominated in a bid to increase the party's presence in the house. That gamble proved successful, with Mr Latham being returned to parliament, but within days his relationship with Ms Hanson and her right-wing party would crumble. A graphic and homophobic tweet aimed at independent MP Alex Greenwich, was widely condemned by politicians across the spectrum — including Ms Hanson — and he was eventually ousted as NSW leader of her party. Mr Latham then quit One Nation alongside fellow party member Rod Roberts — accusing the party of allegedly "defrauding NSW electoral funds" — and the pair has since sat in parliament as independents. Last year, he was ordered to pay $140,000 in a defamation suit brought against him by Mr Greenwich and separate vilification proceedings relating to his tweet are ongoing in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT). In June this year, Mr Latham used parliamentary privilege to reveal confidential information from a psychologist's report about Mr Greenwich that was prepared for NCAT. That led NSW Premier Chris Minns to deliver a speech in NSW parliament, labelling Mr Latham "one of Australia's biggest bigots". Mr Latham has strenuously denied allegations of a "sustained pattern" of domestic abuse and pressuring his former partner Ms Matthews to engage in "degrading sex acts" in an apprehended violence order (AVO) application filed in a NSW court. News Corporation has published messages he allegedly sent to Ms Matthews that included photos of female MPs while on the floor of parliament and accompanied by disparaging and sexist comments. Mr Latham has not confirmed or denied sending the messages but Liberal MP Susan Carter — who was included in the alleged messages — said he "called and apologised" to her. He has declined an interview with the ABC but responded via text message to a Sydney Morning Herald report alleging he participated in a sex video in his office. "Where's this video they're talking about?" he said. "The paper said they hadn't seen it yet they reported it." Mr Byrne has reached out to Mr Latham since this week's allegations emerged. "I'm concerned for him, because it's awful stuff. He's a solid … red-blooded bloke without the sleaze," he told the ABC. "There's nothing pervy about the bloke."
