A woman in Houston claimed that her now ex-boyfriend had taken sensitive pictures and videos of her without her permission. He then uploaded them onto the Internet after their breakup, a phenomenon known as "revenge porn", causing her great emotional and mental distress.
The woman had been in a long-distance relationship for seven years, and during that time span shared many intimate photos and video chats over Skype. However, after the breakup, the ex-boyfriend threatened and blackmailed her with those pictures and videos, which he uploaded to YouTube and other sites.
A Haris County jury awarded her $0.5m dollars, which currently stands as the largest revenge porn verdict in the country. There is currently no law against revenge porn in Texas: while some state lawmakers are considering making it illegal, opponents argue this may conflict with the right to the freedom of speech. Revenge porn is currently illegal only in New Jersey and California, though other states may follow suit as it becomes a more widespread issue. Meanwhile, the ex-boyfriend plans to appeal the verdict.
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