I think we're overestimating the "anonymous internet snark" aspect of this phenomenon. Back before most people lived in large cities and could be anonymous, this sort of thing still happened. People got reputations, and they rarely lived down embarrassing things that became public knowledge. Is it really worse for some random person thousands of miles away to laugh at a mugshot and a story (someone who could meet you…
The internet simply increases the reach that stories like this have. It reminds me of an old joke, appropriate before the net: "You know son, I was a volunteer fireman in this town, put out many blazes, but they don't call me Billy the Fireman. I also build quite a few bridges in my time, and they're still standing to this day, but they don't call me Billy the Bridge Builder. But you fuck one goat..."
And drowns each needle in a steadily-growing haystack of other stories.