A former footy player who turned a married woman’s life ‘upside down’ after secretly filming a sex tape has been fined.
Jarrod Aiello, 24, fronted Mildura Magistrates’ Court, in Victoria’s north-west, on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to one count of producing an intimate image.
The court heard he started a sexual relationship with the married woman, 40, in January after meeting her on Instagram.
The pair had a two-week affair, and when the relationship ended, a video of them having sex was shared online.
Aiello, a former Irymple Football Club player, had filmed the sex tape by hiding a secret camera in a wardrobe.
In an emotional victim impact statement, the woman said the video ‘completely turned her, and her family’s life, upside-down’.
‘I’m here to stand up for myself today, and every other girl or woman that has been in this situation but has been too scared to speak up or hasn’t had the resources to get help,’ she said, the ABC reported.
Aiello had denied distributing the video and claimed it was taken from his phone without his knowledge.
Jarrod Aiello (pictured) secretly filmed a woman while they had sex
When he was arrested in March, he told officers the video was filmed with the woman’s consent, before finally admitting she didn’t know.
The court heard Aiello had also shared several intimate photos of her, sent through Snapchat, with several people.
She learnt about the video weeks later when her sister called after hearing of it.
Since the video emerged, her marriage has broken down and the video has spread like ‘wildfire’ through the towns of Mildura and Robinvale.
It was also shared in several football group chats.
‘That day my whole world fell to the floor,’ the victim said.
‘People I know, people I thought were friends, passed this video around like I was nothing, with not even a thought of how it would affect me and my family.’
Her children were also made aware of the video and were teased at school, leaving the woman feeling suicidal.
The victim said Aiello (pictured) had ‘completely turned her, and her family’s life, upside-down’
When she confronted Aiello, he ‘gaslighted her’ and said there was ‘nothing to worry about’.
Defence lawyer Bert Hilton-Wood argued Aiello believed he had consent to film the video and apologised to the victim four times before the video was reported to police.
Magistrate Patrick Southey noted it was ‘always hard to tell’ if an accused was sincere in their remorse or just upset they got caught.
‘Having taken the video, he just had to tell his mates about it,’ Mr Southey said.
‘It has ruined the victim’s life, and affected her children. It’s utterly humiliating and a terrible betrayal and breach of trust.’
Aiello pleaded guilty to one count of producing an intimate image, which has a maximum sentence of three years behind bars in Victoria.
Mr Southey noted his early plea and lack of prior offences.
Aiello was fined $5,000 and ordered to pay nearly $100 in court costs.
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