By CHRISTIANE BARRO

A Melbourne woman who had revealing images publicly shared on a porn website that targeted underage schoolgirls has spoken of her harrowing experience.

Former Bacchus Marsh Grammar student Stephanie Macmillan was one of the 2000 Australian women who had their intimate photos shared online without their consent.

Pictures of her in a bikini were taken from her personal Instagram account and put on an online thread that was allegedly created in Russia, Ms Macmillan said.

“As soon as I saw it, I wasn’t going to admit defeat because these horrible people have manipulated my content, that’s never ever been sexually related,” she said.

The photo was originally posted almost three years ago to acknowledge her achievements after getting in shape.

Ms Macmillan said she was “absolutely repulsed” at how young women were being mocked and shown in an overtly sexualised manner.

“There were so many photos of girls completely naked. Then there’s anonymous comments everywhere asking for these people and asking for their nude pictures,” she said.

More than 70 schools across Australia were targeted in a series of threads on the site.

“On the site itself, there was no report button whatsoever,” Ms Macmillan said.

It took up to two weeks for the thread to be deleted.

Ms Macmillan said the police told her their hands were tied. 

“There is very little they could do, especially because content is getting put up and taken down so rapidly,” she said.

“I was furious. I felt really violated. I felt quite victimised.”

Ms Macmillan said she now thought twice before posting a picture that was even “remotely revealing”.

“It’s just horrifying. I’ve definitely been more cautious ever since,” she said.

“I have nieces and I have little cousins and I have cousins who are teenagers and I’ve said to their parents, make sure they’re careful online because I didn’t think it would happen to me and it did,” she said.

Ms Macmillan said she detailed the incident on her Facebook page to shed light and some much-needed awareness on what came to affect a number of her close friends.

“An ex years ago always said … I didn't need to validate my self worth to myself through likes on social media – as an adult now I can't agree with him more but at the time I took him and his advice for granted!” the post read.

Only a day later, a Facebook page titled "Sexy Girls in the Werribee/Hoppers Area" was created, ridiculing Ms Macmillan.

“I’d like to give thanks to a girl I know, Steph Macmillan, for giving me the inspiration to make this page. She posted about some website [4chan] posting pics of her … so it gave me the idea to make this page to make it easier than scrolling through 4chan,” the post read.

Ms Macmillan said she knew the person responsible for creating the page.

“It’s sad that you can’t trust anyone. You never know what people are going to do or how people are going to manipulate what they’ve got when they’re in a position of power,” she said.

La Trobe University senior legal studies lecturer Dr Nicola Henry said although this might seem shocking, the ease with which these photos were used was not surprising.

Dr Henry said there was a certain type of acceptance around sharing images of women and girls.

“There’s a sense of masculine entitlement and masculine privilege that comes with this, that makes it acceptable within those particular groups.”

The non-consensual distribution of sexual images should be criminalised at a federal level, Dr Henry said.

“In the absence of those laws, I’m sure there are many people that think this is perfectly legal,” she said.