Graeme Brandon, 43, from Bournemouth stole an image from the Facebook page of Royal Marine Commando Steele Saunders and used it to create a fake WhatsApp profile
A Royal Marine wept after a fraudster who stole his identity in order to send lewd images of himself to women was jailed.
Graeme Brandon, 43, from Bournemouth, stole an image from the Facebook page of Royal Marine Commando Steele Saunders and used it to create a fake WhatsApp profile.
The painter and decorator used Gumtree to obtain mobile numbers of 27 random women before sending them images of his erect penis via WhatsApp.
Breaking down in tears at Bournemouth Crown Court, Mr Steele said: 'The thought that people were doubting me was unbearable.
'There have been incidents when I was out with my family that people recognised my face and started shouting things like "Paedo" towards me.
'I have had my car damaged, nails in tyres and wiper blades pulled off.
'I have had numerous threats from people who contacted me believing I was responsible and I have felt helpless in trying to clear my name and trying to convince people I was not responsible.
Steele Saunders, a Royal Marine Commando, wept in court and said he has has been the target of threats from people who wrongly thought he was responsible for sending the explicit images
'As a direct result of what has happened it is hard to put down into words the effect this had had on my life and my mental health.'
Police investigating the case soon realised that many of the victims had put their telephone numbers on Gumtree while advertising goods for sale.
The first women came forward in January 2017 with other women also complaining about indecent images they had been receiving on their telephones.
Detectives soon determined the indecent images were the same photograph.
In April 2017, Steele Saunders also approached Dorset Police to complain that his photograph had been stolen and used on a fake
