A fast-food supervisor who sent an unsolicited nude photograph to a 15-year-old colleague on Snapchat has been fined $1,500 and spared placement on the sex offender register.
Shannon Ashley Johnson, now 27, was working as a shift supervisor at the Tasmanian restaurant when they sent the explicit image to the teenage girl in March 2020.
The Supreme Court heard Johnson, then 21, sent the photo with the words “do you like my body” after the pair had connected on social media.
The teenager, who worked under Johnson’s supervision, had accepted a Facebook friend request and shared her Snapchat details shortly before receiving the unsolicited image.
Justice Robert Pearce said the incident highlighted the risks of workplace power imbalances, particularly for young employees.
“Although you were young you were in a position of authority over her in your employment,” Justice Pearce said.
“It is not suggested that you deliberately used your authority over the complainant but there was a difference in age and maturity and a power imbalance.”
The victim reported the incident to a teacher in 2020, though Johnson was not charged until 2022.
Johnson later pleaded guilty to grooming with intent to expose a child to indecent material.
Justice Pearce said using phones to send indecent images was especially serious as “it happens in private, beyond the knowledge of those responsible for the care and supervision of children”.
However, he described the matter as a single, “isolated” incident and noted that “no serious impact” to the victim had been identified.
The court heard Johnson had maintained steady employment with another employer in the five years since and had no other convictions.
Justice Pearce declined to impose an offender reporting order, saying Johnson did not pose a material risk of reoffending.
