On January 19, Barton-Kennedy reported to his platoon commander that he had received a message “from a stranger who had acquired nude photographs of him from the photo section of his cell phone and identified him on social media.”
Barton-Kennedy initially agreed to pay the attacker 100 British pounds ($133), but resisted when asked to pay 250 British pounds ($333), and only then informed his platoon commander what had happened.
Barton-Kennedy was eventually court-martialed and pleaded guilty at a hearing on July 30.
During that process, according to the court record, Barton-Kennedy understood the orders she was given at the time, but asked the court to “consider the personal circumstances” she faced at the time. Without his phone, he told the court, he would not be able to reach his daughter on her birthday, nor his pregnant partner.
In a written statement, Barton-Kennedy said he was stunned when he received the first blackmail message.
“Despite being still in a state of shock and uncertainty, I recognized that I had a duty to report the engagement without further delay,” he wrote.
In addition, he said he “deeply regrets” the incident and added that serving in the British Army “has been one of the greatest privileges of my life.”
Barton-Kennedy appealed the sentence, which was denied in August 2026.
Responding to a request for comment, Lt. Col. EP Mackie, a spokesman for the British Army, told Ars in a statement that the security measures imposed are intended to protect the safety of military personnel.
“Any violation of Army security measures that may compromise personal protection or operational security will be addressed promptly, and offending personnel can expect uncompromising disciplinary action,” he wrote.
