Thanks to the passage of New York City Administrative Code 10-180, Unlawful Disclosure of an Intimate Image, victims of Revenge Porn and the unauthorized sharing of compromising images in New York City – Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and Staten Island – now can protect themselves in a court of law. Similarly, those abused elsewhere in the state can avail themselves of NY Penal Law 245.15, Unlawful Dissemination or Publication of an Intimate Image. Not only are distributors of intimate images, videos, pictures and other recordings committing a crime, but you, as a victim, can also file a lawsuit to hold them financially accountable for, among other things, punitive damages. Simply, if an ex-boyfriend, former spouse, or even an affair, shares your intimate images that he or she may have lawfully had at some point but were not permitted to send out to friends, business associates or online, a NYC Revenge Porn lawyer can help you secure justice in every sense of the word. No longer will you have to shrug when you ask, “How can I protect myself as a victim of Revenge Porn?”
Although consulting with an attorney familiar with New York City Revenge Porn laws and, more specifically, NYC Admin. Code 10-180, also referred to as 10-177*3, will provide you with a better understanding of the law, your rights and both the civil and criminal consequences to your tormentor, know that this crime is punishable by up to one year as an unclassified misdemeanor. Because all criminal convictions in New York are permanent, your abuser, if convicted for improperly sharing your intimate, sexual, or nude photographs, recordings or other images, will face dire consequences. What future employer, co-op board, apartment rental agency or professional organization that licenses and certifies, will just gloss over this type of misconduct? Make no mistake. Going to Rikers Island for up to one year is a frightening prospect, but knowing that your future will be scarred by a conviction for committing Unlawful Disclosure of an Intimate Image – a Revenge Porn crime in New York City – should be the “stick” to stop your abuser from his or her continued violation of your mind, body and soul.
Beyond the New York City Criminal Courts where Unlawful Disclosure of an Intimate Image is prosecuted by a respective District Attorney’s Office, a violation of this statute exposes the distributor of your intimate images – those reflecting your vagina, penis, anus, pubic area, or a woman’s nipple or areola – to financial and civil liability well beyond the $1,000.00 fine associated with a criminal conviction. New York City Administrative Code 10-180(d)(2) allows a judge to find your victimizer liable for compensatory damages, injunctive relief, attorney’s fees so you are not “out” money protecting yourself, and potentially far more relief if the court believes it is appropriate. Its also important to recognize that you in no way need to criminally prosecute your illegal intimate image distributor first or in conjunction with your civil case to have a viable claim. In fact, beyond these causes of action, you may be able to secure an Order of Protection, aka, a Restraining Order, in Family Court as well.
Protect and educate yourself. Stop your victimization. Prosecute your victimizer and / or haul him or her into civil court to make sure your abuser is accountable. Don’t let live in fear or shame. If you are a victim of New York City Revenge Porn, NYC Admin. Code 10-180, or similar harassment elsewhere in the state in violation of Penal Law 245.15, contact the New York Revenge Porn attorneys at Saland Law PC.
Saland Law PC is a law firm representing victims of Extortion, Blackmail, Coercion, Stalking, Harassment and Revenge Porn in the New York City and Hudson Valley area. The New York criminal lawyers at Saland Law PC served as prosecutors in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office prior to starting the law practice.