An estate agent who was upset after a relationship broke down has been jailed under a new law banning so-called revenge porn.

Ashleigh Hayward, described in one newspaper report as an online agent, was sentenced to 18 weeks in jail.

He had used the internet to send 38 private ‘sexual’ pictures of his ex-girlfriend to a friend.

At Swansea Magistrates Court, he pleaded guilty to an offence of disclosing private sexual photographs with intent to cause distress.

The court said that because the images had been uploaded to the internet, there was a risk they could have been more widely shared, with a risk of being accessed indefinitely.

Hayward, 26, of Swansea, was said in court to be extremely remorseful.

After retiring briefly, the three magistrates at Swansea decided the offence was so serious it warranted immediate custody.

Chair of the bench Ros Evans told Hayward: “This was a deliberate and premeditated attack using modern technology in the worst possible way.

“We feel your victim has been violated.”

She added it was possible the photographs sent to the “world wide web” could be accessed indefinitely.

As Hayward was led to the cells his solicitor Craig Harding asked for bail to be granted pending an appeal against sentence but the magistrates refused.

* Anyone spreading ‘physical’ images and footage of another person online, via text or email, can now be jailed for up to two years.

So far, around 16 people have been convicted under the new law which came into effect in April.