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| Jailed: Dobla |
Blerina Dobla, 26, adopted the fake identity of a male model during internet exchanges with the 23 year-old and deliberately tagged her friends and family in the embarrassing Instagram posts.
She was employed as an accountant at Skimlinks between April 2017 and March, last year and from June, 2018 has been a management accountant with the Nicoll Curtin Group.
Today she received four months imprisonment at Camberwell Green Magistrates Court and District Judge Karim Ezzat told her: “These images were displayed twice and long enough for others to know.
“The victim lives with the knowledge these images are out there for all to see. They will be somewhere and have had a significant impact on the victim.”
The victim says her weight plunged two-and-a-half stone and she contemplated suicide while under the grip of the ‘male model’, who tormented her with descriptions including: “frigid”, “boring” and “pathetic.”
Dobla, of Melliss Avenue, Richmond-upon-Thames pleaded guilty to sending a communication of an indecent or offensive nature on January 30, 2017, namely an Instagram video of the victim naked in the shower.
She also admitted a similar charge of sending the same shower video to the victims’ friends and family via Instagram on November 1, 2017, plus additional images of the young woman in various states of undress.
The second post contained a screen shot the victim had unwittingly sent university graduate Dobla, revealing she had been raped, aged sixteen years-old.
Prosecutor Mr Chidi Ikwuakolam told the court: “The defendant befriended the complainant who was the new girlfriend of the defendant’s ex under an alias.
“A relationship formed during which the complainant sent a number of personal videos of a sexual nature and pictures to the defendant.
“She says she was persuaded to send them via Snapchat, believing the material would be only visible for a few seconds and could not be saved by the recipient.
“The defendant then threatened to disclose these videos and images to the complainant’s employer and they were posted on Instagram on two separate dates.
Dobla, who lives in a £1.2m house, was traced by police and arrested at work in February, last year and her phone was seized by officers who were also able to investigate her online history.
When quizzed by officers Dobla said it was nothing to do with her. “She denied the allegations, saying she knew the complainant was someone her on-off boyfriend had seen.”
In a lengthy victim impact statement she said: “Being the survivor of sexual assault, aged sixteen, I thought I was strong, but the person I used to be was taken.
“I am a shell of the person I once was. This has taken a toll on my physical and mental health with attacks of anxiety and depression.
“All of my hard work was knocked down for someone’s entertainment, publicly displaying images without my consent has been like torture to humiliate me.
“At first the control began with having to reply instantly and sending photos of what I was wearing to who I thought was Will Gregor who would decide if my outfit met with his approval.
“I had to say where I was going and prove where I was by sending pictures and send ‘before and after’ pictures of my food because in his words he was ‘disgusted’ with me because of my weight.
“He would tell me my parents did not care for me like he did and I did my best to avoid what made ‘Will’ angry.
“I stayed in my room at weekends and became a social recluse and I gave up on ever getting out of the vicious circle my life was in.
“The messages were horrible, tearing apart my looks and personality. I had mentally and physically given up.
“I began to think it might be my fault and deserved it and was so weak that suicidal thoughts began.
“Sending the pictures and videos were the result of cruel and manipulative bullying and ‘Will’ only seemed satisfied when I sent him a photo.
“I felt completely ashamed and embarrassed and with no choice as the malicious communication continued and if I dissatisfied ‘Will’ he threatened to send photos to my friends.”
Dobla threatened to send the embarrassing images to the woman’s employers, prompting the victim to reveal all to her bosses.
“I left my job due to the strain. This whole torment was now effecting my family and career and that evening was the first time I tried to take my own life.
“I couldn’t see a way out, my life and body were no longer mine and I wanted to let go. There was no way out, I felt trapped and if it wasn’t for my love for my family I would have done it.”
She was at work when the shower video was first published. “It came out of the blue and I felt victimised and abused all over again.
“The fact someone, anywhere in the world could see me in this vulnerable position made me feel physically sick.
“I’ll never know how many people will see that video as it was public. I was also shamed and mocked for having been sexually assaulted.”
The victim moved out of London for six months to recover. “I still feel the impact on me and will never be the same girl I was before.”
Dobla’s lawyer Emma Goodall said: “She deleted the images because she regretted her behaviour and the entire Instagram account was moved from the system.
“I would ask the court to have a degree of humanity and mercy.”
District Judge Ezzat said: “Her behaviour was well-planned and manipulative over a period of months during which she bullied and coerced these images and published them.
“The impact on the victim has been devastating and says this has ruined her life.
“The most telling thing was your client saying she was suffering depression and anxiety once she got caught and was worrying about what would happen to her.
“One wonders why she did not engage before and if this is part of a manipulative pattern and she still has the images and has the power to exert power and control.
“Even in the pre-sentence report she puts at arms length her responsibility , saying she didn’t ask for or solicit the images.
Dobla, who attended the Catholic Gumley House Convent School - moto ‘Vive Ut Vivas’ (live that you may live) - founded in 1841 was also made subject to a five-year restraining order prohibiting contact with the victim.
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