ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — The woman’s ex-boyfriend is now facing a first degree misdemeanor charge after police say he shared an intimate video of them on Facebook … after they broke up.
It’s not uncommon for people to snap intimate pictures of themselves and send them to their partners, but when that photo when that photo is made public without your permission, you could end up in jail.
According to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, a 10-second video showing an intimate moment between 25-year-old L’enord Kelley and his ex-girlfriend ended up on Facebook.
As of Friday, Kelley was still in jail on a $16,000 bond.
Kelley is accused of posting the video without the woman’s permission after their breakup. In Oct. 2015, it became a crime in Florida to post nonconsensual pornography.
It’s considered a first degree misdemeanor for the first offense and a felony if it happens again.
Since 2013, 32 states have passed criminal legislation to crack down of those seeking to harm ex-lovers … or even strangers.
Action News Jax Law and Safety Expert Dale Carson says the crime not only invades people’s privacy, but it also creates emotional distress.
“If that happens and someone inappropriately displays it, they can be charged with a criminal event and that should serve to protect victim from this kind of revenge by former lovers or friends or family,” Carson said.
Carson says victims have always had civil recourse in these cases, but this fairly new law makes it criminal offering up even more protections for victims and to deter this activity.