A jury awarded a Texas woman $1.2 billion after ruling that she was a victim of revenge porn. The woman had filed a lawsuit against her former boyfriend in 2022. The man had shared intimate pictures of the woman, who was recognised as 'DL' in court documents on social media. He shared the images via fake social media accounts and tagged friends, family and employers of the woman.
The settlement is a win for victims of "image-based sexual abuse,” her lawyers said, BBC reported. The images were reportedly taken from security cameras at the woman's home. The perpetrator also created a website and Dropbox folders that were publicly accessible and mailed pictures to people.
The defendant did not appear in court, hire a lawyer or respond to any court summons during the trial. The case was filed after law enforcement failed to respond to multiple reports of the woman's ex-boyfriend harassing her, DL's lawyers told Washington Post.
Under a law passed in Texas in 2015, it is a crime to share intimate visual material without a person’s permission and with the intention to harm them-- what is commonly known as revenge porn.
The couple separated in 2021 after a long and drawn-out breakup. The boyfriend retained information related to her email and social media accounts and gained access to her mother’s home security camera system, from where he accessed intimate pictures of her.
The woman has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, her lawyers told Washington Post.
