Rugby league: Magistrate lashes NRL star Tyrone May as he faces court over sex tapes scandal

Tyrone May has been arrested and charged. Photo / Getty

Penrith Panthers playmaker Tyrone May has been spared jail by a magistrate who lectured him about consent in the age of the "Me Too" era after he filmed four sex tapes without the consent of the women involved.

The 23-year-old NRL player was on Friday given a three-year good behaviour bond in the Parramatta Local Court over the 2018 videos.

As part of the bond, he will perform 300 hours of community service.

"It's reprehensible," magistrate Robyn Denes said. "Not the conduct but Mr May's conduct in filming it without consent."

Denes recalled a video which went viral at the start of the Me Too movement, using tea as an analogy for consent.

"It makes it really simple — if you don't know they are going to consent, why would you assume they do consent?" Denes said.

"Do you just assume people want milk and sugar with their tea? No, you ask."

May pleaded guilty to four counts of intentionally recording an intimate image without consent on November 22, the day the matter was due to go to hearing.

In March last year, the women became aware the existence of the videos and contacted police.

Police were told that while the sexual acts were consensual, the women were unaware they were being filmed. These recordings were also disseminated without their consent.

Penrith NRL coach Ivan Cleary and star Panthers player Nathan Cleary were seated in the back of the court during the sentence.