Two men were recently charged with violating Minnesota’s revenge porn laws. These men created fake social media accounts and filled these accounts with sexual images of women without their consent. The men then contacted people who knew the women in the photos and told them about the social media accounts. The men were the first two individuals who were charged under Minnesota’s revenge porn law. A recent study by a nonprofit group revealed that 8% of the individuals who were questioned had been victims of non-consensual pornography. Minnesota’s revenge porn laws became effective on August 1, 2016.
The Revenge Law in Minnesota
Minnesota’s revenge porn law is called the Nonconsensual Dissemination of Private Sexual Images. This law penalizes anyone that intentionally disseminates a private sexual image of another person. To be convicted under the law, it is not necessary that the person who shares the image knew that the person depicted did not consent to the image being shared. It is also not necessary to convict a person under this law to show that the person depicted expected that the image would remain private.
Penalties
A person who is charged under this law faces up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
A person faces a felony for sharing private sexual images if any of the following details can be established:
- The person who shared the image did so with the expectation that he or she would profit from sharing the photograph.
- The person who shared the image operated a website that was intended to share private sexual images.
- The private sexual images were obtained through computer hacking.
- The private sexual images were posted on a website.
- The private sexual images were shared with the intent to harass.
- The subject in the image experienced financial loss due to sharing the photo.
Obtain the Help of a Criminal Defense Lawyer
This case represented an increasing effort in the state of Minnesota to prosecute individuals who are guilty of making revenge porn. If you or a loved one is faced with violation of a revenge porn law, it is a wise idea to obtain strong assistance like the legal counsel at O’Keeffe O’Brien Lyson Attorneys. Speak with attorney Tatum O’Brien today to discover how our legal counsel can help you. Call 701-235-8000 or 877-235-8002.
