Legal Question in Criminal Law in Pennsylvania
Posted Pictures
My ex-boyfriend sent nude pictures of me to another one of my ex-boyfriends through email. He has also threatened to send these pictures to people with whom I graduated high school. Is there anything I can do?
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: Posted Pictures
You could sue him.
Re: Posted Pictures
The other answer is correct. The suit would be for invasion of privacy under Pennsylvania Law.
You may want to tell your ex that this is also a federal crime. The statute is at Title 18 of the U.S. Code at section 1801 and the crime is called video voyeurism and provides that:
"(a) Whoever, in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, has the intent to capture an image of a private area of an individual without their consent, and knowingly does so under circumstances in which the individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
(b) In this section�
(1) the term �capture�, with respect to an image, means to videotape, photograph, film, record by any means, or broadcast;
(2) the term �broadcast� means to electronically transmit a visual image with the intent that it be viewed by a person or persons;
(3) the term �a private area of the individual� means the naked or undergarment clad genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or female breast of that individual;
(4) the term �female breast� means any portion of the female breast below the top of the areola; and
(5) the term �under circumstances in which that individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy� means�
(A) circumstances in which a reasonable person would believe that he or she could disrobe in privacy, without being concerned that an image of a private area of the individual was being captured; or
(B) circumstances in which a reasonable person would believe that a private area of the individual would not be visible to the public, regardless of whether that person is in a public or private place."