Thanks goodness for “mama bears.” Recognizing the law was not on her side, 55 year old Dr. Charlotte Laws took matters into her own hands after Hunter Moore, alternatively referred to as “The Kingpin of Revenge Porn” and the “most hated man on the internet” posted topless pictures of her daughter Kayla on the website, IsAnyoneUp.com; pictures which Moore allegedly stole from her daughter’s computer and email accounts.
Initially neither the police nor the FBI was willing to assist Dr. Laws in having the pictures of her daughter’s bare breasts removed. It was not until her husband threatened a law suit against Moore that the pictures were taken down. Moore has since been charged with several felonies, including seven counts of aggravated identity theft and seven counts of unauthorized computer use, stemming from hacking Kayla’s computer. Moore has also exposed himself to civil liability. Had Moore initially obtained the photos consensually, the law would have been much more forgiving.
Only a few states currently criminalize revenge porn. Maryland amended its harassment statute in 2014 to include revenge porn, and Texas is considering a bill that makes it unlawful to “disclose or promote visual material.” In 2014 California saw its first conviction under its revenge porn statute.
According to Laws, the author of a new book titled Rebel in High Heels, revenge porn “[is]really more like non-consensual pornography or [as she prefers] to call it cyber rape because … victims act like traditional rape victims and it’s a sex crime.” I am not sure why “high heels” are necessary accessories to decry gender exploitation. But in all seriousness, it is time for all states to criminalize revenge porn, regardless of how photos were obtained.