Forty four revenge porn cases reported to West Mercia Police

The figures were disclosed as Britain's most senior prosecutor warned of a "growing trend" of offences perpetrated on or through social media.

There were 206 cases started nationally against defendants accused of disclosing private sexual images without consent in 2015/16.

Up until May this year, 44 cases had been reported to police in the West Mercia Police region alone, although not all those led to a formal prosecution. Of these, 37 of the victims were women, with 31 cases involving the offence being committed against ex-partners.

Dean Morgan, 41

Dean Morgan posted images on a Facebook 'name and shame' site after a relationship ended.

The 41-year-old appeared in court in February and had also sent the woman a distressing text message.

Morgan, of Stonebridge Close, Aqueduct, Telford, posted the photographs to a group that has about 15 members, on two separate dates.

The pizza delivery man was charged with two counts of disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress and one count of harassment without violence. He pleaded guilty to all charges.

The posting of the photographs led to the victim losing friends and also caused people to abuse her on the street.

Morgan was given an 18-month community order, and an eight-week curfew.

He was ordered to pay £260 in court charges.

Darren Lindop, 43

Darren Lindop's former girlfriend found herself splashed across Facebook after the 43-year-old uploaded a picture of her.

The incident led to Lindop being handed a 24-month community order by Telford magistrates in December.

Lindop, of Haygate Road in Wellington, Telford had 500 friends on Facebook and there was a potential for that photo could be shared all over the world. The victim asked Lindop to take the photo down, which he agreed to do, and he was later arrested.

The picture had effectively been 'revenge' for an argument they had.

In court, Lindop admitted disclosing a private sexual photo with intent to cause distress.

In addition to the 24-month community order, he was also ordered to pay £135 costs, £150 criminal court charge, £60 victim surcharge and £50 fine.

He was also given a restraining order.

The offence, which carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison, was introduced in April last year after calls from campaigners and victims.

Before the change revenge porn cases had to be dealt with through existing copyright or harassment laws.

Figures published by the Crown Prosecution Service also revealed that prosecutions for alleged "obscenity" offences – including cases brought under the Malicious Communications Act and for possession of extreme porn images – jumped by 20 per cent to just under 7,000.

In West Mercia more than half the total number of complaints involved victims in their 20s. Seven teenagers were also targeted and the youngest was just 14 years old. The oldest victim was aged 52.

Out of the 44 cases reported in the West Mercia Police force area, Facebook was where the highest number of the sexual images had been posted, with 23 incidents. Whatsapp had been involved in four, Instagram two and one shared via email.

Forty of the reported cases involved a photo, while two involved just video and two used both an image and video of their victim.

Alex Till, from Kidderminster, became the first person in the West Midlands to be convicted under the new revenge porn laws.

The 25-year-old was handed a community order and fine by Kidderminster magistrates after he uploaded a naked picture of an ex-partner to Facebook.

Director of Public Prosecutions Alison Saunders said: "There is a growing trend of crimes committed on or through social media.

"Since the new legislation came into force, there have been over 200 prosecutions for disclosing private sexual images without consent.

"We have also found that defendants in controlling or coercive cases rely on tactics such as GPS tracking and monitoring phone or email messages.

"The use of the internet, social media and other forms of technology to humiliate, control and threaten individuals is rising."

The CPS's annual Violence Against Women and Girls report shows it is prosecuting and convicting a record number of rape, domestic abuse, sexual offences and child abuse cases. The figures are not exclusive to females and incorporate data on men and boys.

The study showed that in 2015/16 domestic abuse referrals from police fell slightly, but more than 100,000 defendants were prosecuted and more than 75,000 convicted – the highest volumes on record

As of the end of March, five prosecutions were completed under a new domestic abuse law against coercive and controlling behaviour introduced in December.