Latest news with #sexting
News.com.au
16-07-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Experts reveals truth about ‘common' workplace sex act
When Independant MP Mark Latham suggested in a radio interview today that 'everyone' sexts at work, he quickly normalised the behaviour. Sexting is the act of sending or receiving sexually explicit messages or images, often through phones or social media. 'If I'm the only person in Australia who in a work environment engaged in a bit of playful sex talk with their partner, then I'll buy everyone a lottery ticket tomorrow,'' the former Labor leader said. His comments come off the back of a sexting scandal involving the politician, where he confirmed he sexted his former partner while in parliament. But how common is this behaviour, really? 'We don't have research to support the statement that sexting among Australian adults in professional workplaces is widespread, but given that policies and legislation exist surrounding sexual conduct at work, this would seem to be an unlikely common activity,' Professor Asher Flynn, ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Monash University, told However, there is research on technology-facilitated sexual harassment in the workplace, where unwelcome and/or threatening behaviours such as sexual advances, comments, jokes sent via message, or sexually explicit communications are made in a workplace setting. It is not suggested that Mr Latham's sexts were nonconsensual. Professor Flynn notes nonconsensual sexual messages are a huge issue in the Australian workplace. Professor Flynn's 2024 study of workplace sexual harassment found that 26 per cent of over 3300 respondents (Australian adults who have worked in the past five years) reported they had perpetrated sexual harassment at work, such as sending unwanted sexually suggestive comments or jokes via SMS or email. With recent changes to Australian law, the importance of maintaining workplace appropriateness has become even more crucial. Employers now have a legal obligation to actively prevent and eliminate sexual harassment, and the Australian Human Rights Commission has gained increased authority to investigate and enforce compliance. As part of this, Professor Flynn says we should see clear communication, policies, consequences, and definitions of appropriate and inappropriate workplace behaviour, including through digital technologies, and all employees will be subject to these measures. 'That means even if people are consensually sexting each other within their professional/workplace context and using workplace communications for this purpose (e.g. workplace emails, work phones, Teams chats), then this is likely to fall under similar responses,' she said. 'It makes it quite difficult for workplaces to create a culture that recognises the harms of workplace technology-facilitated sexual harassment, if the employee culture supports behaviours that may be seen as condoning or normalising sexual interactions and behaviours at work.' She emphasised that a respectful, inclusive culture cannot thrive in environments that tolerate or quietly encourage private sexting during the workday. For employees who think sending a risqué text between meetings is harmless fun, she suggests it's worth considering the potential ripple effect it could have on colleagues. For employers, Professor Flynn emphasises the importance of clear workplace policies that outline appropriate behaviours. While there might not be any hard research as of yet about the prevalence of sexting in the workplace, a quick poll of my social media following paints a staggering picture – and one that somewhat supports Mr Latham's claims. When asked 'Have you sexted at work?', 66 per cent of the 100 respondents answered 'yes', while 25 per cent answered 'no'. Meanwhile, 9 per cent answered: 'Only while working from home'. Clearly, for many Aussies, a bit of digital flirtation during office hours isn't off the cards. Relationship and intimacy coach Susie Kim says she understands why couples engage in sexting and even supports it – but warns it can quickly turn unprofessional when done in the workplace. 'Sexting can be a really easy way to maintain erotic connection, build anticipation, and throw a few sticks on the fire, so to speak,' she explained. 'It can keep the oven burning when you're apart, and doing it in 'taboo' locations can add to the excitement. 'You're in a different setting, which can build up more tension.' However, she warns that if you get carried away – which can easily happen in the heat of passion – you might unintentionally cross a professional boundary. 'To maintain professionalism, I think the biggest no-no is obviously sending explicit photos or texts on a work computer or a work phone,' she points out.
News.com.au
16-07-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Mark Latham goes scorched earth after graphic sexual texts with estranged lover Nathalie Mathews were leaked
Mark Latham has broken his silence on a sexting and alleged abuse scandal insisting he is only guilty of being 'human and male'. The former Labor leader has emphatically denied that he 'abuses women' insisting that any of his dealings with his ex-lover Nathalie Matthews were entirely consensual. In his first interview on the scandal, Mr Latham confirmed he was sexting in Parliament but insisted his work output was unaffected. 'The big news is I had a private life. I had a sex life and I've got to say it was fantastic,'' Mr Latham said. Mr Latham's former partner has alleged he encouraged her to have sex with other partners and defecated on her during sex. The Independent MP was not asked directly about this graphic and disturbing claim in the radio interview but confirmed he had been sexting. 'If I'm the only person in Australia who in a work environment engaged in a bit of playful sex talk with their partner, then I'll buy everyone a lottery ticket tomorrow,'' he said. Speaking to broadcaster Chris Smith on 2SM, Mr Latham said it was telling that the NSW police had not to date taken out an apprehended violence order (AVO) on her behalf. 'She tried to get an AVO with the police... I think that tells you a lot about the substance of the matter,'' he said. 'There is a court case pending because she's lodged a private AVO application. But I can say in relation to that, just about all the things she's complaining about, she initiated in consensual arrangements. 'As for messages in Parliament, Chris, you know you said on your show in terms of holding the Minns government to account, my output as an MP matches up against anyone in the upper house. 'And I mean to say if you're sitting there listening to Penny Sharpe droning on and then a woman who looks like Natalie Matthews sends you a message, which one would you pay attention to? Chris? 'Yes, I am guilty of that on a regular occasion, guilty too, of being human. In that regard. and male.' Leaked texts Overnight, leaked texts laid bare the breakdown in Mr Latham's relationship with his ex-lover, including the couple's habit of graphic exchanges about sex acts while parliament was sitting and the use of tracking devices to find a 'f**k parlour'. Ms Matthews has told that she did not leak her text exchanges with Mr Latham but confirmed she had provided her phone to NSW police. The texts, first published by The Daily Telegraph, are sexually charged and graphic. In one text exchange on February 20 at 11:06 am, the former Labor leader writes, 'Master's c**k needs relief too. Very hard thinking about you.' The 64-year-old follows up with a series of emojis including a purple eggplant and a tongue. 'Haven't c*m in days,'' he writes. 'Lots of c**k tension.' The messages continue throughout the day with Mr Latham referencing parliamentary work around 8pm. 'Made it back for the first vote after dinner,'' he writes. 'I needed that. You're amazing.' In the same exchange Ms Matthews, 37, writes, 'You are quite amazing. My Dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin.' Mark Latham denies 'false' allegations Mr Latham earlier labelled her allegations of coercive control as 'comically false and ridiculous' in a post on X. Ms Matthews has sought an AVO from police but the matter is yet to be heard. Mr Latham denies the allegations and has not been charged with any criminal offence. does not suggest the allegations are true, only that Ms Matthews has made then in an AVO application that has not yet been heard by the NSW Court. 'As the old saying goes, Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,' Mr Latham said. 'The story says that Ms Matthews went to the police and they did not do anything. They certainly haven't contacted me. In the current environment, that says a lot.' In October, the pair discussed tracking devices. 'Update your tracker,'' Mr Latham writes. 'Where's tracker? Please follow instructions. Send tracker so I can find this f*ck parlour.' Texts expose relationship breakdown The breakdown between the pair is also detailed in more recent messages after the relationship turned sour. 'The heinous monster I saw and that physically attacked me that Tuesday night is responsible for any heart issues you might have,'' Mr Latham writes on June 6. 'Yes, I imploded on the person I love the most due to various external factors, and I never recall a physical attack,'' Ms Matthews responds. 'I reported the attack on me and the other threats you made that night to parliamentary security, as I am obliged to do,'' Mr Latham says. 'I have also had to see a doctor for the shakes I've had since that nightmarish night, and he advised the same thing. 'You obviously don't understand what you did, drunk, covered in mud, a monster screaming.' Latham defends Parliament sexting Mr Latham defended his taxpayer-funded sexting sessions conducted on the floor of NSW Parliament. After the release of hundreds of leaked text messages including sexual messages sent at the same time as he was sitting in Parliament, Mr Latham insisted it never impacted his work. 'I don't think responding to a consensual partner on a private, intimate matter in any way has reduced my workload, which I would match up against any other member in the place,' he said. Mr Latham told The Daily Telegraph that his ex-lover would send sexts when Parliament was sitting that required 'a response.' Mr Latham declined to describe the messages the pair exchanged out of 'an abundance of caution about revenge porn laws.' Mr Latham took to X late on Tuesday night, claiming the text messages that were leaked to the media were 'not accurate'. 'The Daily Telegraph this evening has reproduced a log of messages between me and Nathalie Matthews. They are not accurate. I dont know who, but someone has made changes in very important ways,' he wrote. Proposal revelations Lovestruck Mr Latham proposed marriage to his ex-lover Ms Matthews before she accused him of degrading sexual acts and alleged a pattern of abusive behaviour. Despite Mr Latham describing the relationship as 'a situationship', friends of the former couple have revealed the love affair was serious. In fact, they insist that the former Labor leader proposed to the businesswoman and Liberal Party supporter on May 23, 2024 at the acclaimed Italian restaurant Otto in Sydney. But Ms Matthews has now alleged that Mr Latham asked her to call him 'master' and engaged in degrading sexual acts, allegations detailed in a shocking apprehended violence application. She has alleged that he defecated on her before sex, took intimate images and threw a plate at her – allegations Mr Latham strongly denies. does not suggest the claims are true, only that they have been made in an application to the NSW Local Court in pursuit of an AVO. Mr Latham separated from his second wife Janine Lacy, a local magistrate, and the mother of his children, in September, 2022 after over twenty years of marriage. He divorced his first wife Gabrielle Gwyther in 1999. Latham denies 'degrading' sex acts' Mr Latham, 64, issued an emphatic denial about the claims, telling The Australian newspaper – that first broke the story – that the allegations were untrue. 'The claims you've listed there are absolute rubbish,' Mr Latham said. 'Comical in fact. 'Nothing has been served on me nor has anyone contacted me. 'I haven't had anything to do with her (Ms Matthews) since 27 May, so nearly seven weeks ago. I ended the 'situationship' that night for very good reason.' In late 2023, it was a different story with Mr Latham gushing over his new girlfriend on social media. 'So much looking forward to The Everest this Saturday at Royal Randwick,' Mr Latham's post read. 'A beautiful trophy designed by the great Nic Cerrone, made even more spectacular by being photographed with @nathaliemaymatthews.' In another post, the loved-up couple cuddled at the Rosehill Gardens Racecourse, in Sydney's west. 'Great day of racing at Rosehill with the Town Crier and the very beautiful Nathalie Matthews,' the caption on the post read, followed by an emoji with heart eyes. NSW Police contact NSW police sources say officers who initially interviewed Ms Matthews did not believe there was sufficient evidence to proceed with charges or an apprehended violence order on the information they were given. They remain open to taking a further, more comprehensive statement. They again spoke to her as recently as Monday and will continue to seek a comprehensive statement. 'Degrading' sexual acts alleged Ms Matthews, 37, is seeking an order preventing Mr Latham from going within 100m of her, alleging an 'ongoing, reasonable fear of harassment, intimidation, and potential harm'. 'Throughout our relationship, the defendant engaged in a sustained pattern of emotional, physical, sexual, psychological, and financial abuse, including defecating on me before sex and refusing to let me wash,'' the application states. 'Forcing degrading sexual acts, pressuring me to engage in sexual acts with others, demanding I call him 'master,' telling me I was his property, and repeatedly telling me that my only value to him was for sex to demean and control me.' In the application, she stated that on May 27, 2025, Mr Latham arrived at her home at some time in the evening after sending her 'abusive and coercive text messages, pressuring and insulting me for not being home with him'. After she returned home later that evening, she alleged he was verbally aggressive and intimidating before leaving. 'Monster' texts revealed Shortly after, she alleged he sent further threatening and coercive messages, falsely accusing her of aggression, calling her a 'monster,' and stating he had gone to his GP to create a record claiming distress and that he had approached Parliamentary Security – given he is currently a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council. In June, she stated she was in the Middle East for several weeks. Ms Matthews owns an e-commerce global logistics firm based in Dubai, Perth and Sydney. But upon her return, the application stated she had been in 'a constant state of fear and hypervigilance due to the defendant's pattern of harassment and intimidation following previous separations'. She also alleged instances of physical violence in the application including 'pushing me against walls, forcing me out the door, throwing a plate at me during an argument, and driving at me with his vehicle, hitting me with the side mirror and causing a bruise'. The application also cites allegations of psychological abuse, including 'constant put-downs comparing me unfavourably to other women, acting as if he would harm himself to manipulate me, monitoring my devices without consent, and systematically undermining my confidence to control and isolate me'. There are also claims of financial abuse, including borrowing $20,000 on four occasions without prompt repayment, forcing her to pay for international holidays under duress, coercing her into expensive purchases, and pressuring her regarding her father's will. 'Intimate videos' 'The defendant has held intimate photos and videos of me, and I have been afraid he would expose them to shame and control me if I attempted to leave or resist his demands,'' the application stated. 'The defendant has repeatedly manipulated and intimidated me into resuming the relationship following separations, creating a cycle of fear and control. Previous breakups in May 2024, June 2024, September 2024, January 2025, and June 2025 were followed by similar intimidation and re-engagement. '(Mr Latham engaged in) physical violence, including pushing me against walls, forcing me out the door, throwing a plate at me during an argument, and driving at me with his vehicle, hitting me with the side mirror and causing a bruise,' the court document claims. The matter will be mentioned at Downing Centre Local Court on July 30.
Daily Mail
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Jermaine Jenas offers cheeky sexting advice as podcast listener asks for help - after he was sacked by the BBC amid his own sexting scandal 11 months ago
Jermaine Jenas has given some cheeky sexting advice to a listener of his podcast, Let Me Tell You Something. In a clip posted to the podcast's Instagram page, a submission was sent in detailing a story of sexting gone wrong. 'I wanted to surprise my wife with a romantic cheeky date night,' wrote the pod listener. 'So when I was at work that morning I thought I'd kick things off by sending here a naughty text, letting her know exactly what I was planning to do with her later. 'After about 15 minutes, I hadn't heard back, and I thought it was a bit was strange. 'So I checked it and I realised I'd actually sent it to her mum. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Let Me Tell You Something... (@lmtysofficial) Jenas apologised for his behaviour while at the BBC and now works as a pundit for talkSPORT 'What do I do? I don't think I can ever see her mum after I've explained the kind things I do to her daughter.' 'Let it ride man, see what happens,' joked Jenas in response, before bursting into laughter alongside co-host Derek Chisora and guest Joe Cole. The cheeky clip has amassed over 60,000 views on Instagram. Jenas, the former Nottingham Forest, Newcastle, Spurs and QPR midfielder, is currently a pundit with talkSPORT. He previously worked for the BBC, working on the One Show and Match of the Day, and was widely seen as a future replacement for Gary Lineker on the station's flagship football show. However, he was sacked last year over complaints about inappropriate communications. It later emerged he was dismissed after sending explicit texts to two female employees at the BBC. In an interview with talkSPORT, Jenas said that his behaviour was inappropriate, saying: 'The biggest thing in this whole situation is about taking responsibility and that has been at the forefront of my mind. 'You need to take responsibility for your actions. There's a reason why you're in this position, and there's a reason why this has happened.
The Sun
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Rapper posts ‘Conor McGregor's NUDES' online & claims disgraced UFC star ‘sexually harassed her'
RAPPER Azealia Banks has shared what appear to be Conor McGregor's nudes and accused the MMA fighter of sexual harassment. She alleges the fighter sent her the photos on X unprompted - despite her not following him back. 3 3 Azealia posted the two nude mirror selfies to her own X following. The rapper claims the messages were sexual harassment, but also said that she sent the boxer nude pictures as well in a sexting-back and-forth since 2016. One image posted by Azelia seemingly shows McGregor's manhood strapped to a dumbbell, captioned "lifting weights". She wrote: "How you gonna send a b**** a some crooked d*** pics then threaten her not to tell. "'Like how are you really going to sexually harrass me with the potato farmer d*** then threaten me not to tell????" The screenshots also show a message from what appears to be McGregor's account reading: "Don't be a rat cos all rats get caught". In a later post, Azealia claimed she had sent McGregor naked pictures as well. In a follow-up post, Azealia wrote: "No me and Conor McGregor have been sending each other unsolicited nudes since 2016. LOL "I have never met the leprechaun but today is his birthday and he wants everyone to make a wish and blow out the candle." The Sun has approached representatives of McGregor for comment. It comes after he was caught kissing a mystery bikini-clad woman on holiday in Florida. Yesterday, The Sun reported that the former two-division UFC champion - who hasn't fought in nearly four years - cozied up with a dark-haired woman. He then laid down a towel for the woman and wrapped an arm around her shoulders in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Earlier today his fiancee Dee Devlin expressed her continued support for her controversial partner. She posted photos of the pair looking overjoyed as they celebrated McGregor's birthday. They pair have dated since 2008, and became engaged in 2020. They have four children together. Last year the MMA star was found liable in a civil case that accused him of sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel room in December 2018. It was alleged that he had choked the claimant, leading to her fearing for her life. He disputes the charges, arguing that they had consensual sex. A second woman accused him of sexual assault following a 2023 incident at an NBA Finals game in Miami. He has faced no criminal charges for this second case. Last month McGregor was captured punching a man to the floor during an Ibiza club night.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
What research on sexting reveals about how men and women think about consent
Sexting – the creating and exchanging of sexual texts, photos and videos – has become part of many people's sexual and romantic lives. In an age where interpersonal relations often take place through digital technology, particularly since the pandemic, understanding sexting can help us better understand intimacy. Discussions around this topic inevitably involve concerns about sexual consent, and violation of it. One frequent concern is the risk of intimate image abuse, where private sexual images are shared without the consent of the person depicted. Another is the risk of receiving unsolicited or non-consensual 'dick pics'. These violations can and do affect people of any gender identity. But research suggests that both types of violation particularly affect girls and women, who are more likely to be victims of the non-consensual further sharing of intimate images and to receive unsolicited dick pics. Girls are also more likely than boys to report feeling pressured into sending nudes or other sexual content. In my research, I have explored how men and women experience and navigate consent when sexting in heterosexual relationships. Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK's latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences. I have found that consent is central to the sexting practices of both women and men, but that they approach it differently. Overall, the women I spoke to were most concerned about the risk of having their consent violated. The men, on the other hand, were more worried about the risk of accidentally violating the consent of the person they were sexting with. Between June 2016 and February 2017, I interviewed 44 women about their use of digital media and technology in their romantic and sexual relations. A core part of this involved discussion about their experiences of sexting. Our conversations focused especially on their experiences of sexting with men, and on their notions of intimacy, risk and trust. My participants primarily saw mitigating the risk of intimate image abuse as an individual responsibility. In other words, these women saw themselves as responsible for ensuring that their consent was not violated by a sexting partner. They reflected on the importance of women taking charge to protect themselves. For example, by not placing their trust in the 'wrong' kind of person when sexting. Many employed tactics to reduce risk, from not showing their face in an image, to establishing close connections with the friends and family of their sexting partner. As one participant in her mid-20s explained: 'I do try to meet their family and friends beforehand, just so, if anything does happen, I can kind of go and tell his mum.' Just as the women focused on their individual responsibility for reducing risk, they also understood men as individually responsible for the sexism of sending unsolicited dick pics. Overall, they saw it as an issue of some men behaving badly, rather than part of a broader, systemic issue. This view differs from that of scholars in this area, who have linked non-consensual dick pics to wider misogyny and social issues like rape culture. The 15 interviews I conducted with men took place between May 2022 and May 2023, five years after the interviews with women. During these intervening years, the #MeToo movement gained global reach. This movement raised awareness about the widespread, social and structural issues that lead to sexual consent violations and abuse of power in sexual relations. This research, the findings of which will be published in a forthcoming book chapter, coincided with what many have recognised as a backlash to #MeToo. This backlash (in politics, entertainment and wider society) has manifested in, for example, the advance of the manosphere and crackdowns on sexual and reproductive rights. Only one participant mentioned #MeToo specifically, noting its role in putting sexual consent on the agenda. However, it was clear that the rapidly changing and tumultuous social and political landscape regarding sexual consent informed the mens' experiences. One participant in his late thirties stressed how an interest in consent was what made him want to participate in an interview. He said: 'I've grown up through a period where … understanding about consent has changed a lot. Men of my age … I just think we're very ill prepared for the expectations of modern society.' My women participants had been most concerned to protect themselves from having their consent violated. But the men appeared to be most worried about the possibility that they might violate a woman's consent by not having ensured sexual consent when sexting. Some participants struggled with managing what they understood as conflicting messages regarding women's expectations of men when sexting. For some, it meant avoiding sexting they saw as 'risky'. For others, it meant continuously establishing consent by checking in with a partner. Overall, my interviews revealed that both men and women take consent seriously, and are eager to prevent its violation. This is something I explored further in workshops with other researchers, relevant charities and stakeholders. Our discussions, summarised in the Consent in Digital Sexual Cultures report, stress the importance of creating room (for young men especially) to explore ideas around consent without worrying about social repercussions. Charities like Beyond Equality and Fumble are already creating spaces for such discussions in their meetings with young people at school, in the university and online. We also need to see more of these discussions taking place in the home, at government level and through collaboration with tech companies. Navigating consent in sexual relationships has long been a fraught task for many. Digital technology has created new opportunities for sexual interaction, but also for the violation of consent. We need spaces for dialogue, to help us figure out – together – what good sexual consent practice is and should look like, for everyone involved. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Rikke Amundsen has received a British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grant with reference number SRG2223\230389. This grant covered the costs of the research outlined in the Consent in Digital Sexual Cultures Report.
