In a nutshell, 'revenge porn' is sexually explicit material uploaded by ex-partners after relationships have gone sour. In some cases, victims even had their personal details posted publicly along with the explicit material.
In the UK, several charitable organizations have voiced concerns over rising levels of such incidents, including the National Stalking Helpline, Women's Aid and the UK Safer Internet Centre, reports the BBC News website.
Several states in the U.S. have already introduced laws that tackle revenge porn, and have been tested. In New Jersey, a man was jailed for six months for posting explicit photos of an ex-partner whom he has been in a relationship with for over ten years.
She said she made a stupid mistake by giving him the pictures in the first place, but that she never thought he would do something like this. The pictures spread quickly from being on three sites, to over 200, causing the woman considerable distress.
"Once he put the pictures up he crossed the line. You're ruining someone's life," she said.
In the UK, some anti-harassment laws on the books can help to prosecute an offender, but there are fears that many victims are too embarrassed to come forward.
"I think we're a bit slow catching up here and because it's being talked about a lot more in America they're starting to introduce more robust laws," said Laura Higgins, helpline manager at the UK Safer Internet Centre.
"There is legislation here in the UK but I don't think it's very co-ordinated. It depends very much on who your local police force are and whether your courts have had experience of dealing with these issues."
Source: BBC News
Written by: James Delahunty @ 3 Apr 2014 17:09
