A woman whose colleague posted a video of her performing a sex act on him online in a ‘fit of revenge’ only found out when her boyfriend typed her name into Google.

Stephen Rowlands’ victim said she has been left feeling ‘violated’ and ‘dirty’ after learning last July that their consensual encounter had been uploaded on to social media sites.

Forty-five-year-old Rowlands, of Bunbury Close in Stoak, was handed a 12-month community order with an unpaid work requirement of 60 hours when he appeared at Chester Crown Court on Monday (January 11).

He pleaded guilty to one count of disclosing a private sexual film with intent to cause distress during an earlier hearing.

Pair were work colleagues who struck up friendship

Prosecutor Ffion Tomos explained that Rowlands and the complainant ‘struck up a friendship’ when they worked together at a Cheshire pub, often staying after their shifts ended to have a drink.

One night before Christmas 2014, Miss Tomos said the pair had been drinking together and Rowlands gave her a lift back to where she was staying.

It was there that she performed a sexual act on him.

When they next saw each other at work, the victim made it clear she did not want to continue the relationship in that vein.

Her boyfriend discovered the video in July last year while he was putting a CV together for her.

She told him that because she was a company director, her details would be on the Companies House website.

But when he searched for her name on Google, the video appeared in the results.

The profile pictures were recognised as being those of Rowlands’ and the police were contacted.

He was arrested the following day.

Impact on victim

Rowlands’ victim took the stand to read her victim impact statement aloud to the court.

“Since discovering the video, I have been very anxious,” she said.

“It has made me feel insecure and I feel like I have no self-worth.”

She revealed she was unable to leave the house for two weeks after finding it, fearful that people had seen it.

Defendant was 'socially isolated'

Defending, Christopher Hunt said Rowlands was in a ‘socially isolated position’ around the time of the sexual encounter and felt betrayed when she decided not to pursue the relationship.

He said: “It is in that context that he struck up this relationship with the complainant, which became a ray of light in his life, not for sexual reasons primarily.

“His interest in this relationship was not physical, it was that he felt able to confide in her.

“The problem came as a direct consequence of this physical contact.

“When they went back to work it was clear that the complainant was embarrassed by what had taken place and did not want the relationship to continue in that vein.

“He felt betrayed. He actually resigned from his job because he could not bear to be around the complainant.”

Mr Hunt said his client, who has no previous convictions, then made the ‘stupid decision’ to post the footage online, but it does not appear that he flagged it up to people known to the victim.

He added: “This is somebody who has suffered from depression and has self-harmed.

“It is within that context that he has been disproportionately affected by what has happened.

“He has tried to deal with it by walking away from his job and then begging her to block him.”

Sentencing Rowlands, Miss Recorder Rowena Goode granted a restraining order prohibiting Rowlands from contacting his victim or uploading any information, images or videos of her on the internet, saying it was ‘appropriate and necessary’ for the protection of the victim.

'A fit of revenge'

Recorder Goode said: “Distress seems to be an inevitable consequence of this type of behaviour, whatever the circumstances in which the video was made.

“In a fit of revenge, it seems because you felt somewhat insulted when she did not wish to pursue the friendship between you, you decided to upload this video that you had taken.

“I accept that you understand and accept the consequences of that behaviour and that you have learned a lesson from that.”

Rowlands was also ordered to pay costs of £500 and a £60 victim surcharge.