Revenge porn is the circulation of intimate content depicting a person without their consent. It is a form of cyber sexual harassment.
It is illegal for someone to spread non-consensual and explicit content depicting an intimate partner or someone they know through physical or online mediums in Minnesota. Individuals could face sexual harassment charges and severe legal punishments.
What are the penalties for revenge porn?
The legal penalties for spreading revenge porn in Minnesota are severe. Individuals who violate the law may be guilty of a gross misdemeanor. They may face up to three years in prison or a fine of $5,000.
However, under just one of these circumstances, an individual could receive both penalties if:
- The person depicted in the content experiences financial loss
- The individual spread revenge porn to profit from it
- The individual posted the content online
- The individual spread or attempted to spread the content to harass someone
- It is a repeat offense
The sensitive nature of a revenge porn charge and the possible legal repercussions can negatively affect your personal life and your relationships.
What can you do to protect yourself?
If you are dealing with a revenge porn charge, the following actions may help your situation:
- Keep quiet: If you are facing a revenge porn charge, avoid discussing details of the case with anyone. Do not post or rant about your situation on social media. Furthermore, do not contact the person making the accusations. If you need advice on how to proceed, a legal professional can assist you.
- Avoid deleting posts: If you are facing a revenge porn charge, deleting posts from websites or from social media may make your situation more difficult. Law enforcement could interpret this as deleting evidence and they have means to recover deleted content.
Revenge porn is a serious offense and could jeopardize your personal life, career and reputation. Awareness of what circumstances can constitute a revenge porn charge can help you protect your rights.