04 Feb Victim wants revenge porn internet crimes to be a felony

On behalf of Jack B. Rubin, PA posted in Internet Crimes on Tuesday, February 4, 2014.

Pretty much everyone in Maryland has suffered through a relationship breakup at some point in their lives. In some cases, the scorned party will spit out nasty rumors about the other individual. While rumors can be damaging to one’s self-esteem and confidence, internet crimes are much more detrimental, especially when it is something known as revenge porn.

Revenge porn is when someone intentionally posts intimate, private videos or photos of another person without their permission with the intent to humiliate them. This is exactly what happened to one woman from another state in 2009. The humiliation was so damaging that she decided she needed a new name.

She pursued criminal charges, but those were dropped. Now, the woman is taking a lawsuit to civil court to hold her ex-boyfriend responsible for the damage that he caused by posting those videos and photos online. Further, she has joined a civil rights group to try to get the act of revenge porn to be considered a felony.

Right now, there is only one state that classifies uploading revenge porn to the internet as a felony. However, a bill has been introduced in Maryland for this cause. If it passes, a convicted individual can expect to spend as many as five years behind bars in prison or pay a very large fine of $25,000. In some cases, the convicted may have to do both.

Internet crimes are taken very seriously, whether they entail child pornography, revenge porn or something else entirely. When Maryland residents have been accused of such a crime, it can be imperative that they familiarize themselves with all applicable laws in order to better protect their rights. Further, it is wise to keep in mind that all accused individuals are innocent until proven otherwise in a court of law.

Source: Eldersburg, MD Patch, Posting ‘Revenge Porn’ Online Could Become a Felony in Maryland, Deb Belt, Jan. 28, 2014