Revenge Porn

How can SASH support you?

SASH can provide you with mental health support, and can also work with other organisations that can help you with aftercare, as well as navigating any legal proceedings should you decide to press charges.

What is revenge porn?

Revenge porn refers to the non-consensual sharing or distribution of sexually explicit images or videos of someone, in most cases by a former sexual or romantic partner, with the intent to embarrass, humiliate, or harm the individual depicted.
Revenge porn is a form of online harassment and can have serious emotional, psychological, and social consequences for the victims.
The impact of revenge porn on targeted individuals can be devastating, and presents both legal and ethical dilemmas.

Is revenge porn illegal?

In the UK, revenge porn is classified as a sexual offense under the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 and is punishable by up to two years imprisonment and a fine.
As of 16th April 2024, the creation of sexually explicit "deepfake" images (images that are fake yet highly realistic, meant to be mistaken as real) is to be made a criminal offence in England and Wales under a new law. Those caught making explicit images of an individual without their consent will face a criminal record and unlimited fine.

How is revenge porn classified?

There are three main elements that are needed for a case to be classed as revenge porn:

• Disclosure of a private sexual photograph or film
• Without the consent of the person depicted; and
• With the intention of causing that individual distress

Revenge porn can be posted anywhere online, whether its distributed amongst certain people through private messaging, shared publicly on social media, or posted to online explicit image websites.

Who can be a victim of revenge porn?

Anyone can be a victim of revenge porn, just as anyone can commit the crime of uploading revenge porn; it isn’t limited to a certain gender identification, sex or sexuality.
There is a misconception that someone who is the target of revenge porn must be sexually promiscuous and shares intimate images of themselves often, however this is not the case. Someone may have never even taken an intimate photo or video of themselves before and still become a victim, should someone take a photo or video with them without their knowledge or consent.

Why does revenge porn exist?

Revenge porn aims to do exactly that: get ‘revenge’ on the person or people it is targeting. However, this revenge isn’t ever deserved or warranted, and no matter what the person committing the revenge thinks the person they are targeting has done, nothing justifies the consequences of revenge porn.

Revenge porn is incredibly damaging to the person depicted in the explicit media. Not only can it cause incredibly damaging mental health problems such as extreme anxiety, depression, embarrassment, and shame, but can result in other areas of their life being affected, such as their school, work, social or romantic life.

If you have been a victim of revenge porn, there is nothing to feel shameful or guilty over, and the only person in the wrong is the person who uploaded your images without your enthusiastic consent.

What should you do if you or someone you know has been a victim of revenge porn?

You should contact the local authority to raise that a crime has been committed with any relevant information or proof that can help the police identify and prosecute the perpetrator as soon as possible. 

At SASH, we can provide support and advice but also put you in contact with other services and organisations who can help you with legal proceedings and aftercare.