LONDON — Anyone posting intimate photographs of former partners on the Internet — known as "revenge porn" — could face up to 14 years in prison, British prosecutors warned Monday. The U.K.'s Crown Prosecution Service said it was not outlining new laws but providing guidance to lawyers on how to bring such cases to court. "No one should have to suffer the hurt and humiliation of 'revenge pornography,' a nasty and invasive crime that appears, anecdotally at least, to have increased as social media use has gone up," a CPS spokesman said in a statement Monday.
The explicit images are often accompanied by personal information, including the person's name, address, and links to social media profiles. The CPS outlined various laws under which revenge porn could be prosecuted, the most serious of which fell under child protection and sexual offenses laws that carry sentences of up to 14 years. Last month, an anti-revenge porn law in Arizona was criticized in a lawsuit for being too broad. The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona said the law can make any person who distributes or displays a nude image without explicit permission guilty of a felony.
In-Depth
- Sexting Is the 'New Normal' for Most Teens: Study
- Porn Email Scandal: $116K Per Year Appointee Won't Quit
- 'Revenge Porn' Site Ordered to Pay Woman $385,000
