A Cypriot resident who sent explicit video footage of a woman to one of her relatives has been jailed under ‘revenge porn’ legislation.
Christopher Christou made an intimate recording of the victim from an address in Kent, and later used it against her during threatening phone messages from his home in Cyprus.
The video was recorded in 2019 and included both Christou and the woman. It was allegedly filmed without the victim’s knowledge or consent. In June 2021, Christou was living abroad in Famagusta, Cyprus from where he made repeated attempts to contact the victim in England through phone calls and messages.
During one incident on 30 June, a male relative answered the phone and demanded Christou leave her alone. When the call ended the man received the sexually explicit video via a WhatsApp message. Christou also threatened to distribute the footage to other members of the victim’s family.
In 2024, Kent Police officers learned he had returned to the UK and he was arrested on 8 August at a location in Rochester. At Maidstone Crown Court, Christou, 49, pleaded guilty to disclosing a private sexual film with intent to cause distress, as well as also making threats to disclose the same material.
He was sentenced on Friday 7 February 2025, to 10 months’ imprisonment. Christou also remains subject of an extradition hearing, which relates to alleged domestic and sexual offences under investigation by police in Cyprus.
Detective Sergeant Alan Poulton said:
‘Christou was clearly intent on inflicting the maximum humiliation and embarrassment upon his victim. She has suffered an immeasurable amount of distress, and her life has been profoundly impacted by his cruel actions.
‘We are thankful that the victim has found the courage to give evidence and ensure Christou has now faced justice. I would urge anyone who might be going through something similar to please remember that help is here, and you do not need to suffer this in silence. While we understand how uncomfortable this can be, sharing private images is a serious offence and if you report this to the police any offenders will be pursued robustly.’