Ethan Henshaw: My ex threatened to ruin my life with revenge porn after I exposed his affair. After six months of hell, he’s finally facing justice
Ethan Henshaw is photographed outside court on Thursday
A woman whose ex-boyfriend threatened to send nude photos and sex videos to her friends and family after she revealed his affair with another woman has opened up about her months-long harassment campaign.
Ethan Henshaw, 31, pleaded guilty in Sydney’s Downing Center Local Court on Thursday to threatening to distribute an intimate image without consent and multiple breaches of an apprehended violence order (domestic violence).
Court documents revealed he and his ex-partner, who cannot be named for legal reasons, ended their eight-year relationship in August 2023, but things took a dark turn two months later when she received a phone call from his acquaintance.
During that phone call she confirmed the acquaintance’s suspicions that Henshaw – who lives in Boolaroo, near Newcastle, and works as a car wholesaler – had slept with his girlfriend.
Henshaw was furious with her for revealing the affair, sent her 12 photos and videos of her performing sex acts, and told the acquaintance he would “or not send the images to her family and friends.”
She went to the police, before he was arrested, charged and placed in police custody, before he was released on conditional bail on a $2,000 bond and slapped with an AVO – which he breached a month later through her emails and Snapchat -send messages under the name ‘Bingus’.
Henshaw had appeared in court in person on Thursday, wearing a navy blue suit with a fresh haircut, but was arrested immediately after court and charged on an outstanding warrant.
Now his victim has told Daily Mail Australia she has had enough.
Ethan Henshaw (pictured when he was younger) was in a relationship with a woman for eight years
Ethan Henshaw (pictured) was arrested after court on Thursday and charged on outstanding warrants
The woman revealed that she called the police herself to find out he was wanted by police for breaching bail, and has called on the courts to do more to protect the victims.
“What I don’t understand is how and why courts continue to allow serial killers like Ethan access to their victims,” she said.
“Throughout this process he has continued to breach his AVO and bail conditions, which I immediately reported on the advice of the police.
‘He has been charged several times since October for breaching these conditions. Despite this, the magistrates continue to grant him bail.”
She revealed that she has moved twice in six months and staggered her hours at work to reduce the chance of her seeing him.
In court on Thursday, Henshaw hung his head as the prosecutor told the court he had ‘built up a long criminal record’ in relation to AVO breaches against the same woman.
According to police records, Henshaw was initially hit with an AVO in October 2023 over the intimate images.
He was ordered not to enter Sydney CBD or the suburb where the victim lived, not to contact her and not to use social media unless it was for work.
Henshaw (pictured) pleaded guilty to breaching an AVO and threatening to send nude photos of his ex
Henshaw hung his head in court Thursday because his lawyer said he had built up a criminal record
At 10:32 a.m. on November 17 – a week after she appeared in court on the intimate images charge – she received an email from Snapchat saying, “Bingus has added you as a friend.”
Bingus was her nickname for Henshaw during their relationship.
She accepted the friend request and received an email just after noon from an account that started with “Bingus8893.”
The email said: ‘I’m worried about you. I still care about you, never stopped, I will never care no matter what. I hope you are happy and doing well. I’m here if you ever need me, and I always will be.
‘If you need a conversation, some company, or a hug, just say so. I’m not mad at you and I just want you to be happy, that’s all that matters.”
She was at work and did not answer during the day, but went to the police station around 8pm that evening and opened it in the presence of the police.
The first message read: “I’m not here to bother you, bother you, upset you or anything remotely negative. I’m just trying to check in and see if you’re okay.
“I’m worried and I really care about you. I hope you understand that I am aware of the risks and the implications for me to make sure you are okay, but that you are important to me.”
Henshaw messaged his ex-girlfriend on Snapchat under the username ‘Bingus’
Police then searched her area and found Henshaw sitting in a gray BMW about 100 meters from her home, in breach of his bail and AVO conditions.
When asked why he was in the area, he told police that he went for a walk with his dog and was often in the area because he worked in the wholesale car business.
He denied contacting his ex-girlfriend via email and Snapchat, refused to answer further questions and was arrested and charged with breaching an AVO.
In court on Thursday, Magistrate Daniel Reiss granted a request from prosecutors to enter a final AVO to protect the victim from Henshaw for five years, instead of the standard two years.
Henshaw’s phone was seized by police after his arrest in October. Before he gets it back, he will have to delete all intimate images of his ex-girlfriend from the device and any cloud accounts.
Henshaw was refused bail by the court on Thursday after his arrest and will appear in court again on Friday.
His two further breaches of the AVO will be mentioned at Burwood Local Court on May 31.
He will appear at the Downing Center on July 19 for sentencing on intimate image charges and two AVO breaches.