Warning issued as revenge porn cases rise
THERE has been a noted rise in the number of complaints of revenge porn in the Highlands, where someone distributes or threatens to spread intimate photos or videos of a partner without consent, usually after a break-up.
Police have seen an increase in cases being reported, while Inverness-based lawyers say they are being contacted more regularly by victims of this type of abusive and manipulative behaviour, which generally refers to the uploading online of sexually explicit material to humiliate and intimidate the victim.
It is not yet a criminal offence in Scotland but as of April, anyone guilty of distributing or threatening to distribute revenge porn will be committing a crime punishable by up to five years in prison.
North police think the rise in reported cases may be a result of revenge porn being outlawed in England and Wales and court cases being more widely reported in the media.
There have also been several celebrity cases where female stars have claimed they have been victims of this blackmail-style posting of sensitive images.
Now police are urging people to be mindful of who they share images or videos with and to report any abuse.
Jenna Thomson, a family law solicitor for Macleod and MacCallum, the Highlands’ biggest law firm, told the HN: “We have seen a noticeable increase in this so-called revenge porn in recent years.
“We think this is a result of the growth in social media with things like Facebook, Snapchat and WhatsApp and the advancement in camera technology.
“There is probably a cultural shift as well with people more inclined to take pictures and selfies on their phones, things like that.
“Now from April 1 it will not only be a crime to distribute something intimate without consent, but also to threaten to do it, which is good from the potential victim’s point of view.”
She said that domestic abuse comes in many forms whether physical, emotional, verbal, sexual or financial.
“Together with the existing criminal and civil law remedies we hope that the Scottish Government’s attempt to legislate against this highly abusive and manipulative behaviour will prove successful,” Ms Thomson continued.
Police explained revenge porn cases reported at present can only be prosecuted as an offence against the Telecommunications Act in Scotland.
Yesterday Detective Sergeant Craig Thomson, of the Inverness-based Public Protection Unit, urged anyone who has been a victim of this kind of behaviour to come forward, even though they may feel embarrassed.
“We will robustly investigate all reported incidents of revenge porn,” he said. “It is a sensitive crime and in some instances it might not be reported through fear of embarrassment for the victim or if they have been the victim of extortion, by way of threats made by the perpetrator to forward sexual images to friends or family members.”
He also urged people to be careful. “With the advance in technology and various applications available to share images, the users of these sites must be mindful of whom they are sharing images with and the consequences of engaging in sexual acts online or sharing images of themselves,” he said.
“They must be aware of their own ‘digital footprint’ and that once these images are shared by someone else it can be difficult for the victim to have them removed from these websites.”
Heather Williams, manager of Ross-shire Women’s Aid, added: “The sharing of private images without consent, or the threat to share such images, causes a great deal of distress for the women we support and is designed to humiliate.
“We have seen an increase in this type of behaviour being used to try to control current and ex-partners over the last few years. “This change will bring the law up to date to reflect the impact new technologies has on those experiencing abuse.”
Anyone experiencing abuse of any nature is urged to contact police on 101.