Access to smartphones and similar digital devices has revolutionized human interactions. Some people choose to take intimate pictures of themselves or even capture videos of their private moments with other people.
Whether an individual recorded a video of themselves and a partner or received images voluntarily sent from someone else, they might want to share those images with others. Unfortunately, forwarding an intimate text or video could potentially be grounds for prosecution.
Non-consensual sharing is revenge porn
People who have intimate images and videos of others could cause significant reputation damage to the other person. Some people share private images and videos without considering the consequences. Others intentionally act out of malice in a desire to harm the other person, which is where the term revenge porn gets its name.
Some people upload images or videos after the end of a relationship as a means of punishing the other party. That conduct could lead to criminal charges.
Under Mississippi’s revenge porn statute, sharing intimate images or videos of another person without their consent or with the intent to cause them harm could lead to criminal prosecution. The first time a person violates this relatively new law, they may face misdemeanor charges.
The penalties possible include up to six months in jail and up to $1,000 in fines. A second or subsequent offense becomes a felony. The penalties the courts could impose increase to up to a year in jail and $2,000 in fines.
Reviewing the circumstances leading to revenge porn allegations can help people prepare a defense strategy. Anyone accused of a sex crime or an offense related to intimate relationships may want to respond assertively to avoid a reputation-damaging conviction.
