What to Do If Someone Makes Revenge Porn Involving You

Revenge porn, also called nonconsensual intimate image sharing, occurs when someone distributes private sexual images or videos without the subject's consent. Victims can preserve evidence, report content to platforms, request search engine removal, and pursue legal remedies, and cases involving minors require immediate action.

Discovering that someone has shared intimate photos or videos of you without your consent can be devastating. Many victims describe feeling shocked, violated, embarrassed, angry, and powerless all at once. If the images involve a child, the emotional impact can be even more overwhelming.

In recent years, the internet has made it easier than ever for private content to be shared widely and quickly. A single image can be posted to social media, uploaded to websites, sent through messaging apps, or distributed across multiple platforms in a matter of minutes. Once shared, that content can spread far beyond the person who originally posted it.

If this has happened to you or your child, it is important to know two things.

First, you are not alone. Thousands of people become victims of nonconsensual intimate image sharing every year.

Second, there are concrete steps you can take to protect yourself, preserve evidence, seek removal of the content, and pursue legal remedies.

This article explains what revenge porn is, what actions to take immediately, and how legal options may help.

What Is Revenge Porn?

"Revenge porn" is a common term used to describe the sharing of intimate or sexually explicit images or videos without the subject's consent. While the term remains widely used, many advocates and legal professionals prefer phrases such as "nonconsensual intimate image sharing" because not every case involves revenge.

In practice, these cases tend to fall into two broad categories:

1. Revenge-based sharing

These are situations where the perpetrator is motivated by anger, breakup dynamics, or a desire to humiliate the victim.

For example:

• A former romantic partner posts intimate photos after a breakup.
• Someone shares explicit content specifically to embarrass, punish, or retaliate against the victim.

2. Non-revenge consensual sharing (no personal grudge required)

Sometimes, victims never knew the person who made the image. The perpetrator might be a total stranger, or might go to the same school or work as the victim, but otherwise the two are acquaintances or total strangers. Other time, the nature of the action is revenge.

For example, a former romantic partner may post intimate photos after a breakup. However, unauthorized sharing can also occur when:

• Someone hacks into a phone, computer, or cloud account.
• An acquaintance distributes private images without permission.
• Images are shared in group chats.
• Explicit content is posted on websites or social media platforms.
• Artificial intelligence is used to create fake intimate images depicting a real person.
• A scammer threatens to publish private content unless money is paid.

In all of these situations, the victim's consent is absent. That lack of consent is what makes the conduct harmful and, in many jurisdictions, unlawful.

Understanding what counts as nonconsensual intimate image sharing is the first step. The next question is what someone can actually do if it happens.

If the Images Involve a Child, Act Immediately

Before outlining actions you can take if you are in a situation that involves nonconsensual intimate image creations and distributions, it is critical to acknowledge that cases involving minors are fundamentally different.

Sexually explicit images involving children may constitute child sexual abuse material, regardless of how the images were originally created or obtained. Don’t forget, this advice covers teenagers.

Parents who discover intimate images involving a child should act immediately.

Important steps include:

• Preserve evidence.
• Report the content to the platform.
• Contact law enforcement.
• Consult an attorney familiar with these cases.
• Avoid further sharing of the images, even for documentation purposes.

Many parents are surprised to learn that forwarding or redistributing explicit images involving minors can create additional legal complications.

Instead of repeatedly sharing the content, preserve evidence carefully and follow guidance from law enforcement or legal counsel.

Prompt action can help reduce the spread of the material and improve the chances of identifying those responsible.

Stay Calm and Avoid Immediate Retaliation

One of the most difficult moments for victims is the initial discovery that intimate content has been shared.

Many people understandably want to immediately confront the person responsible, post public accusations online, or engage in arguments through text messages and social media. While those reactions are natural, they can sometimes make the situation more complicated.

Instead, focus on gathering information and preserving evidence.

Try not to:

• Delete important communications.
• Engage in threats or harassment.
• Pay money to a person who is extorting you.
• Destroy evidence in anger.
• Assume the content will disappear on its own.

Your priority should be documenting what happened and protecting your legal rights.

Preserve Evidence Immediately

Evidence is often critical if you later decide to pursue criminal charges, obtain a protective order, or file a civil lawsuit.

As soon as you discover the content, collect as much information as possible.

This may include:

• Screenshots of the images or videos.
• Screenshots showing usernames and account information.
• Website URLs where the content appears.
• Dates and times of postings.
• Messages from the person who shared the content.
• Emails, texts, or social media communications discussing the images.
• Evidence of threats, coercion, blackmail, or extortion.

When taking screenshots, capture the entire screen whenever possible, including timestamps and identifying information.

Keep copies in a secure location. Consider backing up evidence to a secure cloud account, external drive, or folder that only you can access.

Even if a website later removes the content, evidence showing that it existed may remain important.

Consider Reporting the Content to the Platform

Most major online platforms prohibit the sharing of nonconsensual intimate images. However, it may be in your best interest to take this step only after already having contacted a law firm.

If the content appears on social media, websites, forums, or messaging services, use the platform's reporting tools as quickly as possible.

When submitting a report:

• Explain that the content was shared without your consent.
• Include links to the material.
• Provide screenshots when requested.
• Follow the platform's procedures carefully.
• Keep records of all communications.

Many platforms have dedicated procedures for intimate-image abuse and may remove violating content relatively quickly.

Do not assume that one report is enough. If the content appears on multiple platforms, submit reports to each one.

Document every report you make, including confirmation emails and case numbers.

Request Search Engine Removal When Appropriate

Even after content is removed from a website, search engines may continue displaying links or cached versions for a period of time.

Victims should consider requesting removal or de-indexing of search results that direct users to unauthorized intimate content.

Removing search results does not necessarily erase the underlying content, but it can make the material significantly harder for others to find.

Keep copies of all removal requests and responses. Lawyers can help secure takedown requests to remove an image from around the internet. Sometimes, the presence of a lawyer or lawsuit can quicken the actions that could otherwise be secured by an individual but at a slower pace.

Contact Law Enforcement

Many states and countries have laws that specifically prohibit revenge porn or nonconsensual intimate image sharing.

Even where no specific revenge porn statute exists, other criminal laws may apply, including laws related to:

• Harassment.
• Stalking.
• Cyberstalking.
• Extortion.
• Invasion of privacy.
• Computer crimes.
• Child exploitation offenses.

If you believe a crime has occurred, consider filing a police report. Before you do, try to organize as much of the following as you can:

• Screenshots.
• URLs.
• Copies of communications.
• Evidence identifying the suspect.
• Information showing how the content was distributed.

The more organized your evidence is, the easier it may be for investigators to evaluate the case. If you are concerned about your safety, communicate that concern clearly when speaking with law enforcement.

Be Alert for Extortion and Sextortion

Some perpetrators do more than merely post intimate images. They threaten to release content unless the victim pays money, provides additional images, or complies with other demands. This type of conduct is often referred to as sextortion. While it is different than revenge porn, they sometimes overlap. Common warning signs include: demands for payment, threats to contact employers, threats to contact family members, threats to send images to friends, demands for additional explicit content, and more.

If someone is extorting, you take the following steps.

First, preserve all communications. As we’ve described previously, you want to be able to produce as much evidence as possible. Therefore, do not delete messages. Avoid negotiating if possible. Instead, report the conduct to law enforcement. Consult an attorney.

Often, paying an extortionist does not solve the problem and may encourage further demands. Recovering payments made to an extortionist can also be challenging.

Consult an Attorney

Although some victims successfully obtain content removal on their own, many situations benefit from legal assistance.

An attorney may be able to:

• Send cease-and-desist letters.
• Contact websites and hosting providers.
• Seek emergency court orders.
• Pursue civil claims.
• Coordinate with law enforcement.
• Help identify anonymous posters.
• Advise on reputation management.

Legal options vary significantly depending on the facts of the case and the laws in the relevant jurisdiction.

Russell tracks each state’s statutory laws to help inform what options are available in the place you live, and to best counsel you on the right course of action. The sooner an attorney becomes involved, the more options may be available.

Protect Your Online Accounts

If intimate images were obtained through hacking or unauthorized access, account security should become an immediate priority. The steps include changing passwords, using unique passwords for each account, enabling multi-factor authentication, reviewing account recovery settings, checking for unauthorized devices and unauthorized accounts and updating security software. These measures can help reduce the risk of additional privacy violations.

What If You Know Who Did It?

Many victims immediately know the identity of the person responsible. For instance, a former partner, friend, classmate, or acquaintance may openly admit to posting the content. Or, you may be able to figure out who the person is if they used images that you

You Don't Have to Handle This Alone

If someone has shared revenge porn or intimate images of you or your child without consent, the steps you take early on can make a real difference in what options remain available. An attorney at Russell can help you preserve evidence, pursue removal, and understand the legal remedies that may apply to your situation. Contact us to discuss what happened and what steps make sense next.