Police have dropped their investigation into a Richmond Tigers footy star who sent a photo of a topless woman wearing a premiership medal
The AFL’s integrity unit has opened an investigation into the Richmond Tigers topless photo scandal.
The announcement comes just a day after Victoria Police dropped their investigation into the matter at the request of the woman.
AFL spokesman Jay Allen told the Herald Sun the league’s integrity unit was now investigating.
A Richmond Tigers player sent the photo of a topless women wearing a premiership medal.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia the investigation had been dropped at the request of the woman on Tuesday.
‘At the request of the complainant the investigation into the circulation of intimate images has ceased,’ the spokeswoman said.
‘This current development does not preclude the investigators from reopening the investigation at a later date.’
The player who shared the image of a half-naked woman wearing the 2017 AFL premiership medal earlier this month was potentially facing two years in jail under Victoria’s ‘sexting’ laws.
A second photo was shared days later of a naked woman holding a football next to Richmond sign (pictured)
The investigation reportedly left the woman in the photo highly distressed, which was the reason she withdrew her complaint.
The woman, who previously told police she was a victim of revenge porn, allegedly consented to the photo being taken but did not agree to it being shared online.
The photo does not show the woman’s face and the medal owner is not identified.
Social media platforms including WhatsApp, Instagram and Snapchat were in line to disclose information to police about who was sharing the photograph.
A second photo was shared days later of a naked woman holding a football next to a Richmond sign.
But the Melbourne beauty in the second picture, a model named Bella, told Daily Mail Australia she was shocked some people had wrongly believed she was in both photos.
‘I think my boobs are a little bit better than that,’ she joked.
‘I can assure you I am obviously not the woman with the medallion around my neck,’ she said.
Tigers fans show their support during the 2017 AFL Grand Final at the MCG on September 30
The Richmond Football Club said earlier this month it would fully co-operate with the investigation into the first photo.
‘We feel very strongly about the positive role of women at our club and in sport generally,’ a statement read.
‘[We] are committed to creating an environment where women can thrive.’
It is unknown exactly when the photo was taken but it emerged soon after the Tigers won the 2017 AFL Grand Final against the Adelaide Crows on September 30.