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Revenge porn is "cruel, vicious and controlling" and should be dealt with by the Crown Court, a district judge has said.

Judge Michael Ranaghan made the comment when sentencing David Hopper, 25, from Edendoit Road, Pomeroy, to three months in jail suspended for 18 months.

Dungannon Magistrates' Court heard Hopper disclosed a sexual photograph of a woman despite her pleas.

He also threatened to send the picture to others including her father.

The judge said this was "simply evil".

"It was a threat to potentially destroy the dynamic of a family. Effectively Hopper was showing the power he had over his victim," he said.

The woman contacted police on 5 July 2020 after receiving Facebook messages from Hopper, who had also sent the images to an ex-partner.

When arrested, Hopper admitted he had sent the photos. He said he did not know that what he had done was illegal.

He later accepted that he had sent the images with the intention of causing distress and had engaged in a campaign of harassment.

In January, Judge Ranaghan asked for pre-sentence reports.

Speaking at that time, he said: "I've read the string of texts from this girl pleading for the defendant not to do what he ultimately did.

"I can only imagine the distress she was under for a very considerable period of time. I find this offending totally offensive to any moral person."

He told Hopper: "I have no doubt the victim has been damaged by this. You claimed you didn't realise it was a criminal offence, but I don't believe you."

At the most recent hearing, a defence solicitor said his client was "deeply remorseful".

The judge repeated his concerns about revenge porn cases being dealt with in the lower courts and said someone with "more judicial gravitas" should decide what happens to defendants.

"I view these offences as cruel, vicious, controlling, cowardly and devoid of compassion for victims, who in this case begged this person - I'll call him that -not to do what he then did. I look to the victim, who has isolated herself," he said.

"This has impacted on her private and work life. She is anxious and unable to sleep. She had to change job and had thoughts of leaving the country.

"To quote her directly, 'I felt worthless. I could not do anything'."

A restraining order was granted banning all contact between the victim and Hopper's phone is to be destroyed.

The judge had previously pressed the Public Prosecution Service to reconsider the decision not to send the case and others like it to the Crown Court.

However, his call was rejected.