Skip to main content

California will send a man to jail for posting nude pictures of his ex online

California will send a man to jail for posting nude pictures of his ex online

/

The state makes its first 'revenge porn' conviction

Share this story

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

California just sent its first serious message to people who post "revenge porn" online. The state convicted a man today after he posted topless pictures of his ex-partner on her employer's Facebook page. He will spend a year in jail and three years in probation. He will also have to stay away from his ex.

"This type of malicious behavior will not be tolerated."

Noe Iniguez, 36, and his ex-partner spent four years together. After they broke up, Iniguez started sending her harassing text messages. The messages got so bad that she obtained a restraining order against him in November 2011. But that didn't stop him, reports The Washington Post. In December 2013, he used an alias to post derogatory comments about her on her workplace's Facebook page. And in March, he visited the page again to call her "drunk" and a "slut." That's when he posted topless pictures of his ex to the page.

"This conviction sends a strong message that this type of malicious behavior will not be tolerated," said city attorney Mike Feuer in a statement.

California enacted its "revenge porn" law in 2013. The law makes it illegal for anyone to post sexually explicit videos or nude pictures online without first obtaining the consent of the person included in the pictures. Originally the law only covered pictures and videos taken by someone other than the person portrayed in them, but California's law was expanded in August to include selfies as well.

13 states have "revenge porn" laws

So far, 13 US states have enacted some form of "revenge porn" law. But a few are facing pushback. Last week, a US district judge blocked the enforcement of Arizona's law to allow changes to be made to the legislature. The move came after a group of bookstores and publishing associations sued the state because they said that the law was too broad and could violate artists' and historians' right to free speech.

"There are books on my shelves right now that might be illegal to sell under this law," said Changing Hands Bookstore owner Gayle Shanks in a statement, according to AZ Central. "How am I supposed to know whether the subjects of these photos gave their permission?"