Model Josie Cunningham cleared of revenge porn attack

Aspiring glamour model Josie Cunningham has been found not guilty of revenge porn after uploading a naked photo of her ex-fiance on Twitter.
Josie Cunningham arrives at Leeds Magistrates' Court. Pic: Ross Parry Agency.Josie Cunningham arrives at Leeds Magistrates' Court. Pic: Ross Parry Agency.
Josie Cunningham arrives at Leeds Magistrates' Court. Pic: Ross Parry Agency.

The mother-of-three, from Tingley, near Leeds, posted the photograph of Andrew Goy, with a cartoon mushroom covering his genitals, after their relationship ended in April.

Mr Goy said he had suffered anxiety attacks as a result of its publication on social media sites and a national newspaper website.

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Cunningham took the photograph of the weightlifter as he shaved his body hair in her kitchen during their six-month relationship, Leeds Magistrates’ Court heard.

Andrew Goy arrives at Leeds Magistrates court to see former girlfriend Josie Cunningham stand on charges of creating revenge porn after she posed a nude picture of him online. The charge relates to an incident on May 9 when she Tweeted a picture of former partner Andrew Goy. See Ross Parry copy RPYREVENGE.Andrew Goy arrives at Leeds Magistrates court to see former girlfriend Josie Cunningham stand on charges of creating revenge porn after she posed a nude picture of him online. The charge relates to an incident on May 9 when she Tweeted a picture of former partner Andrew Goy. See Ross Parry copy RPYREVENGE.
Andrew Goy arrives at Leeds Magistrates court to see former girlfriend Josie Cunningham stand on charges of creating revenge porn after she posed a nude picture of him online. The charge relates to an incident on May 9 when she Tweeted a picture of former partner Andrew Goy. See Ross Parry copy RPYREVENGE.

He said he did not know the photograph had been taken and would not have consented to it being published online.

Mr Goy told the court: “I felt upset and quite hurt. It has affected me as well. It’s been in the papers and a lot of people have made fun out of it.

“It’s been affecting my family and friends. I’ve had to go to the doctors, I’ve had anxiety attacks. I just want to move on from all of this.”

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Cunningham told the court that she uploaded the photograph after Mr Goy posted a topless picture of her on his Facebook page.

She said she contacted him to ask him to remove the photo but he refused.

Cunningham told the court: “He said ‘I’ve got pictures of you, you’ve got pictures of me, do what you want with your pictures, I’ll do what I want with mine’.”

She said she she had not intended to cause him distress and had cropped his head from the picture and added the mushroom to cover his genitalia.

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Narinder Rathour, defending, said Cunningham had more “colourful” and “sexually explicit” photographs and screen grabs of “intimate” messages that she could have used if her intention was to humiliate Mr Goy.