A Richmond Tigers star at the centre of the club’s topless photo scandal is under police investigation after the woman involved claimed she was a victim of revenge porn.
The explicit image emerged on social media last week, showing a half-naked woman wearing a 2017 premiership medal which belonged to a Tigers player.
The young woman, who reportedly willingly posed for the photo, alleges the image was shared online and via text message without her consent.
A Richmond Tigers star at the centre of the club’s topless photo scandal is under police investigation after the woman involved claimed she was a victim of revenge porn
Tigers players pose with the cup after winning the 2017 AFL Grand Final on September 30. It is unclear which Tigers player is being investigated
The player told her the photo had been deleted from his phone, but instead shared it with his friends, the Herald Sun reported.
Though it is unclear when it was taken, the image emerged in the days following the Tigers’ defeat of the Adelaide Crows in the AFL Grand Final on September 30.
Police confirmed on Tuesday that an investigation was underway, but refused to elaborate.
‘Yarra Crime Investigation Unit detectives are investigating an image distributed on social media,’ police said in a statement.
A second photo also began circulating this week, showing a nude woman with her back to the camera in front of a wall with a Richmond logo
The premiership medals are seen after the 2017 AFL Grand Final match between the Adelaide Crows and the Richmond Tigers
‘The image was posted without consent. As the investigation is ongoing it would be inappropriate to comment further.’
The AFL Integrity Unit is also probing the incident and is in communication with the woman involved, according to the Herald Sun.
A second photo also began circulating this week, showing a nude woman with her back to the camera in front of a wall with a Richmond logo.
It is understood that image is not being investigated.
Tigers president Peggy O’Neal appeared on the ABC’s QandA program on Monday night and was quizzed about the photos.
‘I can’t really comment on the particular event. I don’t have all the facts about that,’ she said.
Tigers players line up for the national anthem in the lead up to the 2017 AFL Grand Final at the MCG
‘I can’t really comment on the particular event. I don’t have all the facts about that,’ Tigers president Peggy O’Neal said of the photos
‘But if it turns out that it is disrespectful to women, we certainly don’t stand for that, that’s not what our club’s about.
‘And if someone has made a disrespectful and humiliating gesture, then of course it will be taken into account.’
Ms O’Neal said such incidents was not ‘what we’re about’ and Richmond had ‘shown it’s for equality, it’s for inclusiveness and it wants to promote women’.
If convicted, the person who sent the image could face up to two years behind bars under Victoria’s ‘sexting’ laws.
Richmond Tigers fans are seen celebrating winning the flag at Punt Road Oval on October 1