Editor: Intentional distribution of non-consensual porn, or “revenge porn,” is a type of online harassment that occurs when an ex-partner or even a hacker posts sexually-explicit images of a person online without their permission.
Revenge porn is a growing issue in our region. As a paralegal, I have received calls from many people concerned about it. Additionally, according to an analysis by the Arlington County Commission on the Status of Women, revenge porn has increased by 73 percent in the last year alone, with cases increasing from 11 to 19 just within county borders.
Virginia’s revenge-porn law does not go far enough to protect victims. For one, it contains language limiting recourse to only perpetrators who “intend” to harm the victim – a clause not present in other sex crimes, where harm matters more than intent.
Secondly, victims cannot get restitution under the current criminal statute, and must sue in a civil court to gain restitution – a redundant and potentially traumatizing endeavor.
Additionally, the current law limits the definition of revenge porn to simply nude photos, whereas someone might be fully clothed but performing a sexual act, or otherwise depicted lewdly, and thus not protected under the law.
I would implore everyone to advocate to change Virginia’s revenge porn laws to better protect victims.
Jordan Stevenson, Arlington