Revenge porn is when someone shares sexually explicit images or videos of another person without their consent, whether it be online or offline, with the aim of causing distress or harm.
Revenge porn can fall under Cyber Crime and convictions can fall under various acts depending on age and content of the material. If found guilty, the suspect could be imposed to serve 2 years' imprisonment.
With the development of technology such as mobile camera technology and digital media the sharing of sexual messages has become the norm.
However, once the video has been sent the sender no longer has control of the image or video and this can then be shared on all forms of social media, reaching potentially millions of viewers.
Since April recent legislation changes has made revenge porn a specific criminal offence that means that offenders caught sharing revenge porn images online can face prosecution and land up to convicted a maximum of 2 years in prison.
Here are five things that revenge porn you solicitors/lawyer wish you knew about revenge porn and how the law can work for you
1.
They can be removed
You can get the pictures taken down, you may think that once indecent images are on the web that nothing can be done, but your lawyer/solicitor can fight to get these images/videos removed and have been doing so long before the new law was created.
Your London Solicitor's that specialise in revenge porn cases are involved in a lot of internet clean up and it's not as hard as you may think.
If you've taken the photo yourself then you usually own its copyright and without your permission this counts as copyright infringement.
2. Legal action doesn't mean you must go to court
If you go to your solicitor for advice we can send official letters to the person who posted your pictures explaining that they can be sued or go to prison for damages.
Your London solicitor would send a serious letter explaining the consequences of their actions, this can help stop the perpetrator and make them realise that they need to remove any indecent pictures off the internet.
3. The law is on your side
The new revenge porn legislation means that the law is on your side and you will be taken seriously by the police and your London solicitor. Don't make the mistake of thinking that because you sent the pictures to the person that put the indecent image online that it is somehow your fault.
Just because the image was sent with your initial consent this does not stop the sharing of the image an offence.
4. It's important to secure the evidence
It can be hard and awkward to show more people the indecent image however it is important to show the police the image or video that has been posted online so that your solicitor has evidence to help you win your revenge porn case.
The police also have the power to seize evidence, including computers and computer data.
5. Don't retaliate
If you've just seen your private pictures posted online then you may want to get your revenge on your ex, however this will make everything worse and could see you getting yourself in trouble with the police.
The best thing to do is either contact a solicitor that specialises in revenge porn to sort out the evidence and get a case against them.
Revenge porn is usually committed by ex-partners or someone you know. It is a violation of privacy and can cause humiliation and distress.
Sexually explicit images or videos not only covers material that shows genitals but also anything that a reasonable person would consider as sexual, including posing in a provocative way or engaging in sexual behaviour.
Prevent yourself from becoming victim of revenge porn
The best way to stop revenge porn happening to you is to not send anything.
Regardless of how you send it or how much you think you know the person receiving the material, think carefully, is it worth it? Check your privacy settings of online accounts regularly and don't share personal information or contact details online. Once anything is published online, it can be hard to take it down. Don't keep sexual material of yourself on your devices and keep passwords private and different.
If someone manages to hack into your device, they could access everything you have on it.
If you think you are victim to revenge porn, report it straight away. Contact the website or media it is on, contact the police and get evidence by taking photos or screenshots of it.
Finally contact the Revenge Porn Helpline or our Revenge Porn Solicitors, London. At Stuart Miller Solicitors, we have expert Revenge Porn Lawyers in London that will help you fight your case and get you the justice you deserve.