A police officer has been exposed in the worst possible way in Northern Ireland.
Posters showing a private image of a female police officer have been posted at various locations around the city of Belfast.
The image, understood to be that of a constable, was originally leaked on messaging app WhatsApp where it had been shared over 1,000 times.
It depicts the officer unclothed alongside a picture of her in her uniform.
Police are said to be now aware of the posters and are working to establish how the images were obtained and who posted them on social media in the first place.
PSNI Deputy Chief Constable Drew Harris said a second, higher-ranking, officer had been wrongly linked to the picture and both are receiving support.
“The posting and re-posting of this material across various social media platforms over recent days have regrettably re-traumatized the victim in this already difficult case," he said.
"It has also unfortunately implicated a second officer erroneously."
Although there is no official PSNI code of conduct for officers when using social media, officers have previously been warned to be aware of their online safety to prevent their details falling into the hands of terrorists or becoming a blackmail risk.
The PSNI website includes warnings against making personal information available to strangers or posting anything online that people would be unhappy to be shared, particularly nude or nearly nude images or videos.
The PSNI encourages anyone who may have had or is aware of, a worrying or disturbing interaction online to contact police or a trusted adult.
See More: Belfast, Featured, Northern Ireland, PSNI
