A MAN has admitted circulating sexual photos and contact details of a woman via social media without her consent.

The woman received “multiple” unwanted messages from men she didn’t know between January and December last year, said Joseph Hudson, prosecuting.

She told the court in a victim statement: “This incident has left me devastated, worried and concerned. I am worried who has my number, details and address. I can’t sleep.

“I feel violated, I feel like a victim.”

Andrew Philip Abram, 36, of Swinsty Court, Rawcliffe, York, pleaded guilty to harassing the woman between January and December last year and disclosing sexual photos of her without her permission during the same period.

York magistrates decided the case was too serious for them to deal with and sent him for sentence to York Crown Court.

They released him on bail until July 26, when he will appear before a circuit judge.

“It is a protracted and sophisticated offence,” they told him. “We do believe this to be very serious. It is so serious that we believe custody is the option here.”

They also said it had had a “considerable impact” on the victim.

Their maximum sentence is six months. Both defence and prosecution lawyers agreed that according to sentencing guidelines, the sexual offence merited a sentence of 12 months before mitigation and aggravating factors were taken into account.

Defence solicitor Steve Munro reserved Abram’s mitigation until the crown court hearing.

Magistrates ordered probation officers to prepare a pre-sentence report on Abram.

Mr Hudson said the woman called in police after receiving a 2am call from someone called “Luke”.

He told her the social media profile that had provided him with her details and that enabled police to track down Abram.