Kati Ringer, 21, (pictured) targeted two mothers at random and became abusive when challenged online, Norwich Magistrates’ Court heard on Tuesday
A woman who copied photos of babies from other people’s Instagram accounts, posted them as her own and claimed they were sick or dead in a bid to get money has been banned from using social media for two years.
Kati Ringer, 21, targeted two mothers at random and became abusive when challenged online, Norwich Magistrates’ Court heard on Tuesday.
She was caught after an investigation by West Midlands Police and Leicestershire Police traced her IP address to a computer at her mother’s house in Norwich.
Ringer, of Soleme Road, Norwich, admitted at an earlier hearing to two malicious communications offences relating to March and April this year.
She was sentenced to a two-year criminal behaviour order which bans her from using any social media accounts, passing any other person’s photo off as her own or asking any third party for a donation unless as a legitimate volunteer for a registered charity.
She was also handed a suspended jail term of 30 weeks, suspended for two years, ordered to pay £225 costs and given a community order with a 30-day activity requirement.
Jane Walker, prosecuting, said Ringer had targeted two women, copying photos of their babies from their Instagram accounts and reposting them on her own.
‘The defendant copied these images and reposted them on her Instagram saying they were her child, the child had died and trying to get money,’ she said.
She said when challenged by the first victim, Ringer ‘became threatening towards her and made threats to rape and harm the child’.
Ringer (pictured at an earlier hearing) was sentenced to a two-year criminal behaviour order which bans her from using social media
The court heard Ringer sent the mother a ‘laughing face’ emoji on Instagram, then a further message saying ‘I’ve already posted pictures saying she’s dead, I’ve got £600 so far’.
‘She said the victim was a s*** mother, she hoped the little c*** died in its sleep,’ said Ms Walker.
‘When the victim said she must be jealous, she said ‘jealous of a disgusting little runt that should have been drowned at birth’.’
She also revealed she knew the name of the victim’s partner and altered a picture of the baby to include a penis pointing towards the baby.
‘She said she had taken the victim’s photographs, she didn’t think there was anything she could do, the police wouldn’t touch her and she had two Facebook accounts – her spying one and one with all the pictures,’ said Ms Walker.
The court heard Ringer (pictured right) sent the mother a ‘laughing face’ emoji on Instagram, then a message saying ‘I’ve already posted pictures saying she’s dead, I’ve got £600 so far’
Ian Fisher, mitigating, said Ringer (pictured right) pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and a number of events in her life had contributed to her ‘lacking any ability to empathise’
Ringer targeted the second victim by using images of her prematurely born daughter.
‘The victim challenged the suspect and asked she stop using the images,’ said Ms Walker.
‘It was then that she said she would find out where the victim lived and kidnap and rape her daughter.
‘She was using the picture of the victim’s baby reporting to people that the baby was premature, that she was seriously ill, struggling to pay for her treatment and funeral.’
Ian Fisher, mitigating, said Ringer pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and a number of events in her life had contributed to her ‘lacking any ability to empathise’.
He said of the offences: ‘They are made possible by the advent of quite complex social media forms on the internet, and the defendant set about something that no normal, decent human being would do.’
Ringer, who had her black hair in a ponytail and wore a long black cardigan and cream top, showed no reaction as she was sentenced.