Ellie Pritchard, 24, has been jailed for 19 months after selling intimate videos of her former girlfriend without her consent. The offences occurred on November 14 last year, when Pritchard sold three videos of herself and her girlfriend to a male friend. The victim only discovered what had happened when the man spoke to her about it, believing she had consented to the videos being sold.
Court hears of betrayal and distress
Prosecutor Zahra Baqri, at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday, October 23, said: "The victim was in a relationship with the defendant at the time. In brief, they entered the relationship around March last year." The relationship ended in October last year but recommenced the following month, and it was then that the victim realised her ex had sent material showing sexual acts between them, and that the material had been shared for payment.
Ms Baqri added: "The victim said that two of the videos have been taken with her consent, but she had not consented to the material being distributed. There was another video which she told police she didn't even know was being taken at the time, and if she had known she would not have consented." The defendant sent the images to a friend, who told the victim he had paid for them and was unaware she had not consented to them being shared.
Victim's statement reveals lasting impact
Pritchard tried to persuade the victim, Sylvia Strain, not to call the police, but she reported what had happened. In a victim statement read out in court, Ms Strain, who has waived her right to anonymity, said the incident had left her feeling "deeply vulnerable" and "exposed something that was personal and private". She said: "The defendant has left me with an enduring sense of distrust towards others. I carry intense feelings of shame and embarrassment every day. I'm fearful that someday someone will approach me about it."
She said she suffered from nightmares and anxiety, and was constantly on high alert. "Christmas 2025 was particularly devastating because I had just learned that the videos had been shared and the impact was overwhelming," she said. "I have had to distance myself from friends in the Merseyside area because I'm fearful of encountering Ellie or people associated with her. Liverpool is a place I love and it has been deeply upsetting to be unable to visit my city."
Sentencing and background
Pritchard denied the three counts of sharing private images without consent but was found guilty after a trial at Liverpool Magistrates Court on September 28. The offences were committed in November 2025, meaning she was in breach of an 18-month suspended sentence order received in August 2025 for two counts of robbery, affray and theft. Other breaches came in June this year, when she failed to attend appointments without a valid excuse.
Ms Baqri said: "There was continued use of ketamine and alcohol, and when efforts were made to address these issues with a view to rehabilitation, the defendant issued that she was not willing to stop her substance abuse, and she felt she was not able to comply with the order." Pritchard, of Plum Grove in Seaforth, failed to attend her sentencing on October 8, and a warrant was issued. She was arrested the following day and remanded at HMP Styal.
Charles Lander, defending, said: "In relation to the (sharing images) offences, she denies them still. Ultimately this is a vulnerable defendant. This is her first experience in custody. She had a very difficult childhood. Her parents weren't around; she was brought up by another family member and ultimately put into the care system. Having lived by herself for a period of time, she became addicted to ketamine and was also addicted to cocaine."
Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said: "The degree of the distress is made evident by the victim's personal statement. This is clearly significant psychological harm that she has suffered. There's an obvious sense of betrayal." Pritchard was assessed as posing a high risk of serious harm to known adults. The judge said: "They (probation) have concluded, despite clear attempts to be flexible as far as supervision is concerned, that you are now unmanageable in the community."
He sentenced Pritchard to 10 months in prison for the sharing intimate images offences and activated nine months of her suspended sentence order, making a total of 19 months imprisonment. He also made a restraining order banning her from contacting Ms Strain for three years.
