Sex Lies And $9 Million
Marie Claire Australia|June 2018

The Revenge Porn Case That Shook The World

Sex Lies And $9 Million
The first time police arrived at her home, Courtney Allen was elated. She rushed to the door alongside her dogs, a pair of eager Norwegian elkhounds, to greet them. “Is this about our case?” she asked. The two officers looked at her in confusion. They didn’t know what she was talking about. Courtney felt her hope give way to a familiar dread.

Three days earlier, in March 2015, Courtney and her husband, Steven, had gone to police headquarters in Kent, Washington, reporting they’d been victims of an online harassment campaign. They had found a fake Facebook page under Steven’s name with a profile picture of Courtney, naked. Emails flooded their inboxes; some called Courtney a whore and a bitch. One seemed like a death threat. Courtney’s co-workers received videos and screenshots of her naked and masturbating. The messages came from a wide range of addresses. Some even appeared to be from Steven.

There were phone calls, too. So many came to the dental office where Courtney worked that receptionists kept a log: “Called and said, ‘Put that dumb cunt Courtney on the phone,’” one said in neat, bubbly handwriting.

Courtney and Steven told a police officer they had seen who they believed was behind the harassment: a man in Arizona named Todd Zonis, with whom Courtney had engaged in an online affair that she had since broken off. The officer assigned them a case number and advised them not to have any more contact with Zonis.

Esta historia es de la edición June 2018 de Marie Claire Australia.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición June 2018 de Marie Claire Australia.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE MARIE CLAIRE AUSTRALIAVer todo
SHANNEN DOHERTY
Marie Claire Australia

SHANNEN DOHERTY

The rebellious actor died in July after a nine-year battle with cancer. Zara Wong looks back at the legacy of a woman who always lived on her own terms

time-read
8 minutos  |
September 2024
IN THE WILDS OF ALASKA
Marie Claire Australia

IN THE WILDS OF ALASKA

Nature served up a spectacular array of delights, while cruising the majestic waters of the far north.

time-read
2 minutos  |
September 2024
Back to EARTH
Marie Claire Australia

Back to EARTH

In its earliest days, the farm bred draught horses for export. Now Tasmania's 1840 cottage Leighton House has been restored as a glorious getaway

time-read
2 minutos  |
September 2024
ODE to LIGHT
Marie Claire Australia

ODE to LIGHT

Created by master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian in 2011, Elie Saab's Le Parfum has since gained a cult following and become an industry icon. Here, Sally Hunwick uncovers the origins of the stunning chypre floral scent

time-read
2 minutos  |
September 2024
JEN ATKIN
Marie Claire Australia

JEN ATKIN

The Ouai beauty guru is regularly called on by the Kardashians and a host of other A-listers. Here, she talks about hair, her beauty cupboard and how she keeps up her energy levels

time-read
2 minutos  |
September 2024
A NEW DIRECTION
Marie Claire Australia

A NEW DIRECTION

When she was 16, Jordan Lambropoulos told her surgeon she'd rather die than wake up with a colostomy bag. Today - 10 years, countless operations and 14,000 Instagram followers later - she's proof that a colostomy bag is not the end. In fact, it can be the beginning of a whole new life

time-read
4 minutos  |
September 2024
LADY LUCK
Marie Claire Australia

LADY LUCK

Rosalía takes her accessories as seriously as she takes her art. The Spanish musician spent three years working on her much-lauded album Motomami, finessing the details and perfecting the finishing touches. And when it comes to her outfits, she's no less specific

time-read
3 minutos  |
September 2024
Wait... superhero movies are cool now?
Marie Claire Australia

Wait... superhero movies are cool now?

Who had Emma Corrin and Juno Temple as supervillians on their 2024 bingo card?

time-read
2 minutos  |
September 2024
CURTAIN CALLING
Marie Claire Australia

CURTAIN CALLING

Brisbane-born star Vidya Makan steps into the shoes of America's founding mother in the long-awaited return of Hamilton

time-read
2 minutos  |
September 2024
LEIGH-ANNE
Marie Claire Australia

LEIGH-ANNE

The English singer on colourism, freedom and reuniting Little Mix

time-read
2 minutos  |
September 2024