Protect Yourself & Know the Laws Surrounding Revenge Pornography
In July 2016, Michigan joined many other states to pass a law criminalizing the dissemination of sexually explicit visual material of another person without their consent. A person found guilty of violating the law could face up to 93 days in jail and/or a fine of not more than $500 for a first offense. A person found guilty of a second offense could face up to a year in jail and/or a fine of not more than $1,000.
In August 2016, an Oakland County woman was awarded $500,000 in monetary damages in what might be Michigan’s first revenge pornography case. The woman’s boyfriend had posted nude photographs of her on multiple Internet sites.
How do you know if you are a victim of revenge pornography?
- Be aware, know if there are explicit images of you in existence.
- Listen to friends and family, they may come across images of you before you do.
- Do an internet search of your name, and browse any images or videos that come up.
If you believe that you are a victim of revenge pornography or cyber-revenge, contact us for advice and the assistance you need in removing harmful images from the internet. We can also help you to determine whether there may be a criminal and/or a civil action that you may pursue against the person who disseminated the sexually explicit visual material.
It is important to know your rights because some of our clients have been threatened by their husbands or boyfriends that they would put sexually explicit photographs out on the internet if you client didn’t agree to the terms of a settlement that would otherwise be adverse to our client’s interest.