Edward Foden, a 40-year-old man from Newcastle, has been sentenced to 18 weeks in prison after sending an indecent image to a young woman. The court heard that Foden screen-recorded a private WhatsApp conversation he had with the woman's mother and sent it to the daughter, which included an image of his penis.
Victim impact statements
In a victim impact statement read at Newcastle Crown Court, the daughter said: "Edward is a bully and I don't know why he would send me videos like this, it is not something I would ever wish to receive." She added: "I feel very uncomfortable and confused. I've meant Edward no harm and I do not know why he would behave like this, sending these offensive messages."
The woman's mother also provided a statement, saying: "This incident has caused trouble within my family and could have caused my daughter to lose trust in me. This incident makes me feel sick, as Edward has targeted my daughter to try and manipulate and control me."
Details of the offence
The incident occurred on April 5 last year, when Foden sent the screen recording at 1:46am. The daughter became distressed and called her mother around 2am, crying as she explained what had happened. When the mother confronted Foden, he initially denied the image was his, but she told him she knew it was because he had sent her the same recording a few days earlier.
Foden's background
Foden, of Bromlee Close, Newcastle, has 41 previous convictions. He pleaded guilty to one count of sending an indecent or grossly offensive electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety. The court heard that most of his offending occurred after 2018, following the breakdown of a long-term relationship, which led to him drinking, taking drugs, and losing his full-time job.
Recorder Mark McKone sentenced Foden to 18 weeks in prison. He appeared via video link from HMP Durham.
