$260k Maryland Revenge Porn Lawsuit Settlement

Whitney, LLP settled a Maryland revenge porn lawsuit for $260,000 that included claims of invasion of privacy and nonconsensual intimate image disclosure.  The $260,000 settlement was the result of our client discovering, after the relationship ended, her trust had been betrayed by her partner. Not only had her personal intimate images been shared with other people, her partner had uploaded her intimate images to the internet without consent.

This Maryland revenge porn lawsuit settlement highlights a harsh reality that revenge porn victims in Maryland, Washington, DC, and Virginia face every day: once intimate photos are taken, trust can be betrayed and the images can be secretly shared and uploaded without consent.  The sooner action is taken to remove the images from the internet, the faster the spread of those images can be stopped.

Whitney, LLP’s invasion of privacy lawyers and revenge porn attorneys help victims of revenge porn, nonconsensual intimate image distribution and invasion of privacy fight back and assert significant legal rights, including but not limited to: 

• obtaining a protective order or restraining order to stop the spread;
• beginning immediate professional image-takedown measures;
• taking action to bring criminal charges; and
• filing a civil lawsuit to recover the costs of takedown measures and to recover significant compensation for actual damages, emotional distress and to punish the wrongdoer.

Revenge porn claims and invasion of privacy are inextricably tied together.

Whitney, LLP’s invasion of privacy lawyers have experience with a variety of invasion of privacy and nonconsensual intimate image disclosure lawsuits, including but not limited to:

• Secret Recording / Maryland Wiretapping Claims
• Hidden Cameras
• Maryland Divorce Privacy Violations: Illegal Surveillance, Tracking & Stalking
• Private investigator illegally placing GPS trackers on vehicles

Call us now at 410 583 8000 or use our online Quick Contact Form for a Free Case Evaluation.

We represent clients across Maryland and in other states with the assistance of local counsel.

Watch our Youtube video on being Recorded Without Consent, and to see our other practice areas.

Discovering Betrayal – Intimate Images Shared Without Consent

Our client was shocked after discovering from a friend that her intimate images had been shared.  After reporting the nonconsensual intimate image disclosure to the police, she began to search for “invasion of privacy lawyers in Maryland” and found Whitney, LLP.  A brief review of the facts established multiple legal grounds for us to pursue her former partner for damages.

In the lawsuit, our client alleged that her partner repeatedly requested to take intimate images of her, which she agreed on the condition that the images remain private.  The betrayal came to light upon learning multiple intimate photographs had been shared without consent.  Our client also came to have concerns regarding videos believed to be taken during the course of the relationship.  Discovering the betrayal was traumatic.

The complaint alleged damages including severe emotional distress, lost time from work, ongoing counseling, and professional intimate image takedown efforts costing thousands of dollars.

While the former partner claimed he had our client’s consent to share intimate photographs, it simply did not make sense.  Our client consistently disputed that allegation and was very credible in her deposition testimony, while his deposition testimony was not credible.  The evidence that came to light during the case also supported that privacy was promised in connection with our client agreeing to take intimate photographs at his consent. 

Ongoing Harm from Nonconsensual Intimate Images Posted Online

During the case, Whitney, LLP’s revenge porn lawsuit settlement lawyers highlighted that the harm to our client did not stop after her partner posted the images online.  Instead, the original posts/uploads were just the beginning.

It was the ongoing reposting, mirroring, and indexing causing images to continue to spread online, which continued to cause our client further emotional distress until takedown measures began to have an impact.

How This Revenge Porn Lawsuit Settled for $260,000

The Maryland nonconsensual intimate image disclosure lawsuit asserted multiple civil causes of action and highlighted facts that, together, increased pressure on our client’s former partner and resulted in the $260,000 Maryland revenge porn lawsuit settlement:

• Alleging the defendant intentionally invaded her privacy by uploading the intimate images without consent;
• Alleging the defendant violated the trust-based agreement that the intimate images were private, and the nonconsensual distribution of those images violated that confidential relationship;
• Alleging repeated false fraudulent assurances by the defendant that the images would remain private, inducing our client’s consent to be photographed; and
• Asserted the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2022 federal civil cause of action which includes the availability of the greater of liquidated damages of $150,000 or actual damages, plus attorney’s fees and injunctive relief.

The $260,000 revenge porn and invasion of privacy settlement compensated our client for her emotional distress, multiple out-of-pocket expenses, and compensation to pay for professional image takedown services.

Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia: What Victims Should Know

No matter where you live in the United Stated, including in Maryland, Washington, DC or Virginia, or if the person who invades your privacy lives in the United States, your options to bring legal claims may include state claims, federal claims, or both, depending on where conduct occurred and where the case can be filed.

Different states provide different remedies, which when combined with the federal cause of action, can create significant leverage.

Call us now at 410 583 8000 or use our online Quick Contact Form.  

What To Do If Your Intimate Images Were Shared Without Consent

If you’re in Maryland, DC, or Virginia and you suspect your privacy was invaded and intimate images shared without consent:

1. Preserve evidence (texts, URLs, screenshots, page source, usernames, timestamps);
2. Do not negotiate alone with the person who posted/threatened—strategy matters; and
3. Get experienced legal counsel to assist in the next steps.

Daniel W. Whitney,Jr. and Daniel W. Whitney, Sr. of Whitney, LLP

Revenge Porn and Invasion of Privacy Attorneys – Whitney, LLP

If you have questions about your legal rights and legal options regarding nonconsenual intimate image disclosure or invasion of privacy, call Whitney, LLP for a Free Case Evaluation.

It is critical for victims to know they have many legal rights and can fight back.

Call us now at 410 583 8000 or use our online Quick Contact Form.  

CONTACT WHITNEY, LLP

Daniel W. Whitney, Jr., Esq.
Whitney, LLP
409 Washington Ave, Ste 750
Towson, MD 21204
Phone: 410-583-8000
Email: info@whitneyfirm.com
Website: https://www.whitneyfirm.com

We handle cases across Maryland including Annapolis,Baltimore, Bethesda, Columbia, Silver Spring, Rockville, Ocean City and Hagerstown, and cases outside of Maryland with the assistance of local counsel.

This blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Prior results do not guarantee future results, and all cases are different.

If you have been a victim of nonconsensual intimate image disclosure / revenge porn in Maryland, Washington, DC, or Virginia, contact Whitney, LLP for a case evaluation: https://www.whitneyfirm.com.