New ‘revenge porn’ legislation will come into force in the UK making the act a criminal act with a maximum jail term of two years for offenders.
Celebrity picture and video scandals brought the issue into the public eye while UK police say there has been a 65 per cent increase in the practice over the past two years.
British Justice secretary Chris Grayling says the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill being put to parliament – and it’ll be a brave MP who opposes it – will deeem revenge porn as its own crime.
Revenge porn is the sharing of intimate photos, video or other media of someone who is or used to be your someone without their permission.
“We want those who fall victim to this type of disgusting behaviour to know that we are on their side,” Grayling said.
“The fact that there are individuals who are cruelly distributing intimate pictures of their fomrer partners without their consent is almost beyond belief.”
US-based Aussie rapper Iggy Azalea recently tweeted about the issue amid reports she’s battling a former partner who’s trying to flog a sex tape of the pair for a large sum of money.
“Anyone who releases or attempts to make profit off someone else’s intimate moments against their will is a sex offender,” Mullumbimby-bred Azalea said.
Recent figures from The Sun, which has campaigned for the law change, say there have been 149 reported instances of revenge porn in the UK in the past three years with a police caution or charge coming in just six cases (that’s about two per cent).
The cases are usually considered harassment or “malicious communications,” which carry less significant penalties.
Serious cases could now be tried under the under the Sexual Offences Act, from which sentences of up to 14 years can be imposed.
The new laws will cover social media content, of course, but also texts, email or physical distribution of material.
