Revenge Porn Laws by State (2026)
How each state handles revenge porn (sharing intimate images) and the penalties, from each state's code.
| State | Revenge porn (sharing intimate images) |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Yes. 'Distributing a private image' — knowingly posting, texting or otherwise sharing a sexually explicit image of an identifiable person who did not consent in writing and had a reasonable expectation of privacy — is a crime; so is 'creating a private image' without consent. Altered or AI-generated images that appear to show a real person are covered. A first violation is a Class A misdemeanor (up to 1 year and a $6,000 fine); a later conviction is a Class C felony. The Attorney General may seek an emergency injunction to stop distribution. Threatening to release sexual images to force someone to act is sexual extortion, a Class B felony. Ala. Code 1975 §§ 13A-6-240, 13A-6-241; Ala. Code 1975 §§ 13A-5-6, 13A-5-7, 13A-5-11, 13A-5-12 |
| Alaska | Alaska covers this under harassment in the second degree: with intent to harass or annoy, publishing or distributing photos, pictures or films that show another person's genitals, anus or female breast or show that person in a sexual act is a class B misdemeanor (up to 90 days and $2,000). Distributing such an image of a person taken when they were under 16, to annoy or humiliate them, is the separate offense of sending an explicit image of a minor: a class B misdemeanor if sent to another person and a class A misdemeanor if posted on a public website. AS 11.61.120(a)(6), (b); AS 11.61.116; AS 12.55.135, 12.55.035 |
| Arizona | Yes. Intentionally disclosing an image of an identifiable person who is nude or engaged in sexual activity, when the person has a reasonable expectation of privacy and the disclosure is meant to harm, harass, intimidate, threaten or coerce, is a class 5 felony, and a class 4 felony if done electronically (texting, email or posting online). Threatening to disclose such an image, or disclosing a realistic computer-generated or altered image, is a class 1 misdemeanor. Sending an image to someone does not by itself give up the expectation of privacy; disclosures with consent, for law enforcement, legal proceedings or reporting crime are exempt. A.R.S. § 13-1425; A.R.S. §§ 13-702(D), 13-707 |
| Arkansas | Yes, in a limited form. A person 18 or older who, to harass, frighten, intimidate, threaten or abuse, distributes a sexual or nude image, video or audio recording of a family or household member or a current or former dating partner to a third party commits unlawful distribution of sexual images or recordings, a Class A misdemeanor (up to 1 year and $2,500). It is no defense that the victim knew of or consented to the recording or that the defendant owns it. The court must issue a no-contact-type pretrial release order. Ark. Code § 5-26-314; Ark. Code §§ 5-4-201, 5-4-401 |
| California | Under Penal Code 647(j)(4), it is disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, to intentionally distribute an image of another identifiable person's intimate body parts or sexual acts when the distributor knows or should know it will cause serious emotional distress, the person suffers that distress, and the image was meant to stay private, was obtained without authorization where there was an expectation of privacy, or was taken by exceeding authorized access to the person's accounts or files; creating and distributing a realistic fake (computer-generated) intimate image under the same conditions is also covered, except by people under 18. The default misdemeanor penalty is up to 6 months in jail and/or $1,000; a second offense, or one against a minor victim, is punishable by up to 1 year and/or $2,000. Victims may also sue under Civil Code 1708.85 when someone intentionally distributes private intimate images without consent. Cal. Penal Code 647(j)(4), (k); 19; Cal. Civ. Code 1708.85 |
| Colorado | Yes. An adult who posts or distributes on social media or a website an intimate image (real or simulated, including digitally altered) of an identifiable adult, intending to harass, intimidate or coerce, without consent or when the person reasonably expected it to stay private, and causing serious emotional distress, commits posting a private image for harassment, a class 1 misdemeanor plus a mandatory fine of up to $10,000. Posting such an image to make money (for example, charging for removal) is posting a private image for pecuniary gain, also a class 1 misdemeanor with a fine of up to $10,000. The depicted person keeps a protectable right of authorship over commercial use of the image. C.R.S. §§ 18-7-107, 18-7-108; C.R.S. §§ 18-1.3-401, 18-1.3-501, 18-1.3-503 |
| Connecticut | Yes. Connecticut's crime is unlawful dissemination of an intimate image: intentionally sharing a nude or sexual image of another person without consent, knowing the person expected it would not be shared, where the person is harmed. Sharing it with one person is a Class A misdemeanor (up to 1 year and $2,000); sharing it with more than one person through an online, information or telecommunications service is a Class D felony (up to 5 years and $5,000). A newer offense (2025) covers sexually explicit fake or computer-generated images: a Class D misdemeanor for one recipient (a Class A misdemeanor if the image was made or obtained to harm the person), and a Class C misdemeanor when shared with more than one person online (a Class D felony with intent to harm). Images from voluntary public or commercial exposure and images of people who cannot be identified are excluded. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 53a-189c, 53a-189d; Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 53a-35a, 53a-36, 53a-41, 53a-42 |
| Delaware | Yes. Under Delaware's violation of privacy law, knowingly sharing a nude or sexual image of someone without consent, when it was made or given under circumstances where the person expected privacy, is a Class A misdemeanor (up to 1 year). It becomes a Class G felony (up to 2 years) when aggravating facts are charged and proved, such as obtaining the image by theft or hacking, sharing it for profit, running a site to distribute such images, intent to harass causing significant distress, posting it with personal identifying information, or an adult creator with a victim under 18, or when the person has a similar conviction within 5 years. The law also covers fake (deep fake) images. 11 Del. C. § 1335(a)(9), (c); 11 Del. C. §§ 4205, 4206 |
| District of Columbia | Yes. Knowingly disclosing a sexual image of an identifiable person without consent, knowing (or consciously disregarding the risk) that the person did not consent, with intent to harm them or for financial gain, is a misdemeanor with up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Publishing such an image (posting it to the public) with the same intent is first-degree unlawful publication, a felony with up to 3 years and a $12,500 fine. Republishing an image obtained from someone else, knowing it was first shared to harm the person or for money, is second-degree unlawful publication, a misdemeanor with up to 180 days. D.C. Code §§ 22-3052, 22-3053, 22-3054, 22-3571.01 |
| Florida | Yes. Florida calls it sexual cyberharassment: willfully and maliciously posting online or sending electronically a sexually explicit image of a person without consent, contrary to their reasonable expectation of privacy, with their identifying information included or posted alongside. A first offense is a first-degree misdemeanor (up to 1 year and $1,000), and a second offense is a third-degree felony (up to 5 years). Doing it for money or financial gain is a third-degree felony, and a repeat for-profit violation is a second-degree felony. Victims may sue for an injunction, the greater of $10,000 or actual damages, punitive damages, and attorney fees. Fla. Stat. § 784.049; Fla. Stat. §§ 775.082, 775.083 |
| Georgia | Yes. Knowingly and without consent electronically sending or posting a nude or sexually explicit photo or video of an adult (including a falsely created image) that harasses the person or causes financial loss and serves no legitimate purpose is a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature (up to 12 months and $5,000); a second or later violation is a felony with 1 to 5 years and up to a $100,000 fine. Posting it on a website or file-sharing site that advertises sexually explicit content is a felony with 1 to 5 years (2 to 5 years for a repeat) and up to $100,000. Exceptions include law enforcement, legitimate medical or educational use, images showing only the sender, commercial content, and voluntary public nudity. O.C.G.A. § 16-11-90 |
| Hawaii | Yes. Under violation of privacy in the first degree, knowingly disclosing or threatening to disclose an image or video of an identifiable person nude or engaged in sexual conduct without consent, with intent to substantially harm the person (in health, safety, career, finances, reputation or relationships) or as revenge, is a Class C felony (5 years and $10,000). It also covers creating or sharing fake (composite) sexual images that appear to show a real person. Images from voluntary public nudity or commercial transactions are excluded, and the court may order the images destroyed. Haw. Rev. Stat. § 711-1110.9(1)(b), (c); Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 706-640, 706-659, 706-660, 706-663 |
| Idaho | Yes. Idaho's video voyeurism statute makes it a felony to share, publish or sell (or threaten to share) an identifiable intimate or sexual image of another person with intent to annoy, threaten, harass, humiliate or degrade, when the person knew or should have known the image was meant to stay private and the person shown did not consent. The statute sets no specific term, so the general felony penalty applies (up to five years and/or a $50,000 fine). Sharing AI-generated or altered sexual images ('explicit synthetic media') of an identifiable person without consent is a separate crime: a misdemeanor, or a felony of up to ten years and $25,000 if the person shown is under 18 or for a repeat offense within five years. Idaho Code §§ 18-6605(3)-(4), 18-6606; § 18-112 |
| Illinois | Illinois makes non-consensual dissemination of private sexual images a crime: intentionally sharing an image of an identifiable person engaged in a sexual act or with intimate parts exposed, when the image was obtained under circumstances where it was to remain private and the sharer knew or should have known the person did not consent. It is a Class 4 felony (1 to 3 years), with forfeiture, and there are exceptions for criminal investigations, reporting unlawful conduct, voluntary public or commercial exposure and lawful public purposes. Victims can also sue under the Civil Remedies for Nonconsensual Dissemination of Private Sexual Images Act, which covers intentional sharing or threatened sharing of private or intentionally digitally altered sexual images by a person over 18. 720 ILCS 5/11-23.5; 740 ILCS 190/5, 190/10; 730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-45 |
| Indiana | Indiana's 'distribution of an intimate image' law makes it a crime to distribute a photo, video or computer-generated image showing sexual intercourse, other sexual conduct, or uncovered buttocks, genitals or female breast, when the person knows or reasonably should know the depicted person does not consent. It is a Class A misdemeanor (up to 1 year and $5,000) and a Level 6 felony with a prior conviction; exceptions include reporting a crime, criminal investigations, court orders and news reporting. Victims can also sue for disclosure of nonconsensual pornography under IC 34-21.5 when an intimate image obtained in private or by false pretenses is disclosed to harass, intimidate, embarrass, profit or cause injury. IC 35-45-4-8; IC 34-21.5-3-1; IC 35-50-2-7; IC 35-50-3-2 |
| Iowa | Yes. Iowa treats sharing intimate images without consent as first-degree harassment: disseminating, publishing, distributing or posting a photo or video showing another person nude or partly nude or engaged in a sex act, with intent to intimidate, annoy or alarm and without that person's consent, is an aggravated misdemeanor (up to two years in prison). The law also covers images created or altered to depict a recognizable person (deepfakes). An adult convicted must register as a sex offender; a juvenile does not. Exceptions cover voluntary exposure in public or commercial settings, public-interest disclosures, and online platforms hosting others' content. The statute's civil-action subsection applies only to false police reports, not to image sharing. Iowa Code § 708.7(1)(a)(5), (2), (5), (6) |
| Kansas | Yes. Under Kansas's breach of privacy law, disseminating a video, photo or image of an identifiable adult who is nude or engaged in sexual activity, taken where the person had a reasonable expectation of privacy, with intent to harass, threaten or intimidate and without consent, is a severity level 8 person felony, or level 5 for a repeat conviction within five years. The law expressly covers images created or altered by artificial intelligence. Secretly recording someone nude or under their clothing is also a level 8 felony, and spreading such secretly recorded images is a severity level 5 felony. K.S.A. 21-6101(a)(6)-(8), (b) |
| Kentucky | Yes. Intentionally distributing private sexual images of someone to a third party without their written consent, to profit or to harm, harass, intimidate, threaten or coerce them, when disclosure would harm a reasonable person, is a Class A misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class D felony after that; if done for profit, it is a Class D felony the first time and a Class C felony after. Consent to taking an image is not consent to sharing it. Websites and apps that publish such images must remove them at the request of the person shown and may not charge a removal fee. A conviction does not require sex-offender registration. KRS 531.120 |
| Louisiana | Yes. Sharing someone's intimate image without consent is the crime of nonconsensual disclosure of a private image: intentionally disclosing an identifiable image of a person's exposed intimate parts or sexual conduct, obtained without authorization or under circumstances where it was meant to stay private, when the discloser knew or should have known the person did not consent and that it could cause harassment or emotional distress. It is punished by a fine up to $10,000, up to 2 years with or without hard labor, or both. Reports to police, images of voluntary public exposure, and matters of public concern are excepted. La. R.S. 14:283.2 |
| Maine | Yes. Unauthorized dissemination of certain private images is intentionally or knowingly sharing, displaying or publishing an image of an identifiable person who is nude or engaged in a sexual act (including an image created or altered to appear so), with intent to harass, torment or threaten, when the person knows or should know the depicted person did not consent and there is no public or newsworthy purpose. It is a Class D crime (less than one year and up to $2,000). 17-A M.R.S. § 511-A; § 1604(1) |
| Maryland | Yes. A person may not knowingly distribute an image (including a realistic computer-generated image) of an identifiable person with intimate parts exposed or engaged in sexual activity, with intent to harm, harass, intimidate, threaten or coerce, knowing the person did not consent or with reckless disregard of consent, when the person had a reasonable expectation the image would stay private. It is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 2 years and/or a $5,000 fine. The same statute gives the person depicted a civil cause of action for defamation per se or invasion of privacy, with possible attorney's fees. Md. Code, Crim. Law § 3-809(c), (d), (f) |
| Massachusetts | Yes. Since 2024 the criminal harassment statute makes it a crime to knowingly distribute nude, partially nude or sexual images of an identifiable person (including realistic computer-generated 'digitized' images) that cause physical or economic injury or substantial emotional distress, either with intent to harm, harass, intimidate, threaten or coerce, or with reckless disregard for the harm, the person's lack of consent and the person's reasonable expectation of privacy. It is punished by up to 2.5 years in the house of correction and/or a fine up to $10,000; a repeat offense can bring up to 10 years in state prison. Consent to creating an image is not consent to sharing it, and the statute preserves civil remedies such as court orders to stop distribution. G.L. c. 265, § 43A(b), (c) |
| Michigan | Yes. A person may not intentionally disseminate sexually explicit visual material of an identifiable person 18 or older, with intent to threaten, coerce or intimidate, when the material was obtained under circumstances in which a reasonable person would know it was to remain private and the person knows or should know the depicted person did not consent. A first violation is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 93 days and/or a $500 fine; a second or later violation is a misdemeanor with up to 1 year and/or $1,000. News reports, law enforcement duties, crime reporting and internet providers for others' content are excepted. MCL 750.145e; MCL 750.145f |
| Minnesota | Yes. It is a crime to intentionally disseminate an image of an identifiable person engaged in a sexual act or with intimate parts exposed when the actor knows or reasonably should know the person did not consent and the image was obtained or created where the person had a reasonable expectation of privacy. It is a gross misdemeanor, or a felony with up to 3 years and/or a $5,000 fine if, for example, the victim suffers financial loss, the actor seeks profit, posts the image on a website, or acts to harass the victim. A separate statute gives victims a civil cause of action for nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images. Minn. Stat. § 617.261, subds. 1, 2; § 604.31 |
| Mississippi | Yes. Disclosing, without consent and with intent to harm, an image showing another person's intimate parts or sexual conduct that was made or obtained under a reasonable expectation of privacy, threatening such a disclosure to get a benefit, or knowingly posting it on a website one runs, is a crime. A first offense is a misdemeanor with up to six months in county jail and/or a $1,000 fine; a second or later offense, or any offense committed for financial profit, is a felony with up to one year and/or a $2,000 fine. That the person made the image or sent it voluntarily is not a defense. No civil remedy appears in this section. Miss. Code Ann. §§ 97-29-64.1, 97-29-64 |
| Missouri | Yes. Nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images is intentionally sharing an image of an identifiable person engaged in a sexual act or with intimate parts exposed, to harass, threaten or coerce, when the image was obtained under circumstances showing it was to remain private and the sharer knew or should have known the person did not consent. It is a class D felony (up to 7 years), or a class C felony (3 to 10 years) if the image is of a minor or a vulnerable person. The person shown may also sue for $10,000 or actual damages, whichever is greater, plus attorney's fees. RSMo § 573.110 ('Evan's Voice Act'); §§ 558.011, 558.002 |
| Montana | Yes. Under the privacy in communications law, publishing, distributing or disclosing real or digitally fabricated images of an identifiable person's intimate parts or sexual acts without consent, to terrify, intimidate, threaten, harass or injure or to get money, or threatening to disclose such images to get money, is a misdemeanor for a first offense (up to $500 and/or six months) and a felony for a second or later offense (up to five years and/or $25,000). A separate offense, disclosing explicit synthetic media (AI-made sexual images), carries up to $1,000 and/or one year, up to five years and $10,000 for a repeat, and up to ten years and $10,000 if the person shown is under 18. A civil remedy statute was not found in these sections. MCA 45-8-213(1)(d)-(e), (4); 45-5-640 |
| Nebraska | Yes. Knowingly and intentionally distributing or making public an image or video of another person's intimate area or sexually explicit conduct, when the person reasonably expected it to stay private, without their consent and for no legitimate purpose, is a Class I misdemeanor (up to one year and $1,000) for a first offense and a Class IV felony (up to 2 years) for a later offense. Threatening to distribute such an image to intimidate, threaten or harass is a Class I misdemeanor. Distributing an image that was secretly recorded is a Class IIA felony (up to 20 years) for a first or second violation and a Class II felony for a third. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-311.08(3)-(5); Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-105, § 28-106 |
| Nevada | Yes. Unlawful dissemination of an intimate image is electronically sharing or selling an intimate image of a person who was at least 18 when it was made, did not consent and had a reasonable expectation of privacy, or distributing a realistic computer-generated sexual image of the person without consent, with intent to harass, harm or terrorize. It is a category D felony (1 to 4 years and a fine up to $5,000), with no sex offender registration; it does not apply to persons under 18. Demanding payment to remove such an image is also a category D felony (NRS 200.785). NRS 200.780, 200.770, 200.785; NRS 193.130, 193.140, 193.150 |
| New Hampshire | Yes. Nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images is purposely sharing, to harass, intimidate, threaten or coerce, an image of an identifiable person engaged in a sexual act or with intimate parts exposed, obtained where the person intended it to stay private, knowing or having reason to know the person did not consent; since 2025 it also covers realistic fake (synthetic) sexual images. It is a class B felony (up to 7 years and $4,000), and property used in the offense is subject to forfeiture. A civil remedy statute was not found in this section. RSA 644:9-a; RSA 651:2, 625:9 |
| New Jersey | Yes. Knowingly disclosing (sharing, posting, selling, etc.) a photo or video of another person's exposed intimate parts or sexual act, taken without consent where they expected privacy, without that person's consent to the disclosure is a crime of the third degree (three to five years), with a fine of up to $30,000. Secretly photographing or recording such images is also a third-degree crime. The victim may sue in Superior Court for actual damages of at least $1,000 per violation, punitive damages, attorney's fees and other relief; a criminal conviction is not required to sue. N.J.S. 2C:14-9(b)-(c); N.J.S. 2A:58D-1; N.J.S. 2C:43-3, 2C:43-6, 2C:43-8 |
| New Mexico | Yes. Unauthorized distribution of sensitive images is distributing, publishing or otherwise making available (electronically or otherwise) sensitive images of a person without that person's consent, with intent to harass, humiliate or intimidate them, cause them to fear for their safety, cause unwanted physical contact or injury, or cause substantial emotional distress, where the conduct would cause a reasonable person substantial emotional distress. 'Sensitive images' include images depicting or simulating an intimate act or showing a person's genitals or a woman's breast below the top of the areola. A first offense is a misdemeanor; a second or later conviction is a fourth degree felony. Internet and telecommunications providers are not liable for others' content. NMSA 1978, § 30-37A-1; § 31-19-1; § 31-18-15(A) |
| New York | Yes. Unlawful dissemination or publication of an intimate image is a class A misdemeanor (up to 364 days): intentionally sharing or publishing an identifiable image of another person with intimate parts exposed or engaged in sexual conduct, intending to harm their emotional, financial or physical welfare, when the person knew or should have known the depicted person did not consent and expected the image to remain private. It also covers realistic digitally created or altered ('deepfake') images. The depicted person may sue for compensatory and punitive damages, an injunction, and attorney's fees, within three years of the sharing or one year from discovering it, whichever is later. N.Y. Penal Law § 245.15; N.Y. Civil Rights Law § 52-b |
| North Carolina | Yes. Knowingly disclosing an identifiable image of another person with intimate parts exposed or engaged in sexual conduct, without that person's affirmative consent, with intent to coerce, harass, intimidate, demean, humiliate or cause financial loss, when the image was obtained or altered without consent or was expected to stay private, is a Class H felony for a person 18 or older. For a person under 18 it is a Class 1 misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class H felony after that. Realistic AI-altered images are covered. The victim may sue for actual damages of at least $1,000 per day of violation or $10,000 (whichever is higher), punitive damages and attorney's fees, within one year of discovery and no more than seven years after the last disclosure. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-190.5A |
| North Dakota | Yes. Knowingly or intentionally distributing an intimate image of a person to a third party, knowing the person did not consent, when the image was made or shared with a reasonable expectation of privacy and the distribution causes actual emotional distress or harm, is a class A misdemeanor (up to 360 days and a $3,000 fine). Separately, distributing or publishing a sexually expressive image with intent to cause emotional harm or humiliation, or after being told the depicted person does not consent, is a class A misdemeanor. An identifiable depicted person harmed by that offense may sue for actual damages (including emotional distress) or statutory damages up to $10,000 per defendant, the defendant's profits, exemplary damages, attorney fees and an injunction. N.D.C.C. §§ 12.1-17-07.2, 12.1-27.1-03.3; N.D.C.C. § 12.1-32-01 |
| Ohio | Yes. Knowingly disseminating an image of an identifiable adult who is nude or engaged in a sexual act, without consent and with intent to harm, is nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images, a fifth-degree felony (six to 12 months), or fourth-degree with a prior conviction or sex-offense record. Disseminating a fabricated ('deepfake') sexual image of a person without consent, or creating one to harass, extort or harm, is a fourth-degree felony (third-degree for repeat offenders). Victims may sue for an injunction, compensatory and punitive damages and attorney's fees within four years of discovering the image, with harm presumed. R.C. 2917.211, 2307.66; R.C. 2929.14, 2929.18, 2929.24, 2929.28 |
| Oklahoma | Yes. Nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images is intentionally sharing an image of another person engaged in a sexual act or with intimate parts exposed, obtained under circumstances where a reasonable person would know it was to remain private, without that person's consent. It is a misdemeanor punished by up to one (1) year in county jail, a fine up to $1,000, or both. It is a Class D1 felony (up to five (5) years) if the person gains or tries to gain property or anything of value from sharing or threatening to share the images (with sex offender registration on a second such offense), or if three or more images are shared within six months. The court may order the defendant to remove the image. 21 O.S. § 1040.13b |
| Oregon | Yes. Unlawful dissemination of an intimate image is knowingly disclosing, with intent to harass, humiliate or injure, an image of someone whose intimate parts are visible or who is engaged in sexual conduct (including a realistic digitally created or altered image), when the person knows or should know the person shown does not consent and the person is harassed, humiliated or injured. It is a Class A misdemeanor (up to 364 days), or a Class C felony (up to 5 years) with a prior conviction. The person shown may sue for an injunction and the greater of actual damages or $5,000 statutory damages, plus the defendant's gain, punitive damages and attorney fees. ORS 163.472; ORS 30.833 |
| Pennsylvania | Yes. Unlawful dissemination of an intimate image is, with intent to harass, annoy or alarm, sharing a nude or sexual image of a current or former sexual or intimate partner, or sharing an artificially generated sexual depiction (such as an AI deepfake) of any person; consent of the person shown is a defense. It is a misdemeanor of the second degree (up to 2 years), or a misdemeanor of the first degree (up to 5 years) if the person shown is a minor. The victim may sue for actual damages or $500, whichever is greater, up to three times actual damages at the court's discretion, plus attorney fees and costs. 18 Pa.C.S. § 3131; 42 Pa.C.S. § 8316.1 |
| Rhode Island | Yes. Unauthorized dissemination of indecent material is intentionally sharing, publishing or selling a sexually explicit or intimate image of an identifiable adult (including digitally created or altered images) that was made or obtained under circumstances where it was to remain private, without the person's consent, knowing or recklessly disregarding that it will harm them or intending to harass, intimidate or coerce. A first offense is a misdemeanor (up to one year and/or $1,000); a second or later offense is a felony (up to three (3) years and/or $3,000). Threatening to release such an image to get a benefit, or demanding payment to take one down, is a felony punished by up to five (5) years and/or $5,000. Violators are not required to register as sex offenders. R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-64-3 |
| South Carolina | Yes. Disseminating intimate images without consent is intentionally sharing an intimate image or a digitally forged intimate image of another person without that person's effective consent, knowing it was obtained or created where the person had a reasonable expectation of privacy; consenting to the image's creation or sharing it with one person is not consent to further sharing. Done with intent to harm or for profit, it is a felony punished by up to five (5) years and/or a $5,000 fine for a first offense, and one (1) to ten (10) years and/or $10,000 for a later offense (no probation). Without that intent, a first offense is a misdemeanor (up to one year and/or $5,000) and a later offense a felony (up to five years and/or $5,000). Threatening to release sexual images to coerce someone is sexual extortion, a felony of up to five (5) years for a first offense. S.C. Code §§ 16-15-330, 16-15-332, 16-15-430 |
| South Dakota | Yes. Without the person's consent or knowledge, and with intent to self-gratify or to alarm, annoy, embarrass, harass, invade privacy, threaten or cause harm, it is a crime to disseminate, distribute, sell or use a photo or recording of someone nude, under or through clothing, or in a sexual act, and to create or share realistic digitally fabricated nude or sexual images of an identifiable person. Sharing a real image is a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to one year and/or $2,000), or a Class 6 felony (up to two years) if the victim is 17 or younger and the offender 21 or older, or for any later violation. Creating or sharing a digitally fabricated image is a Class 5 felony (up to five years). SDCL 22-21-4 |
| Tennessee | Yes. 'Unlawful exposure' is distributing an image of another identifiable person's intimate parts or sexual conduct, made under circumstances where the parties understood it would stay private, with intent to cause emotional distress, when the person depicted suffers emotional distress. It is a Class A misdemeanor (up to 11 months 29 days and a $2,500 fine). Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-318; Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-35-111 |
| Texas | Yes. Unlawful disclosure of intimate visual material (sharing an image of another person's intimate parts or sexual conduct without consent, intending to harm them, when the image was meant to stay private, it causes harm and reveals the person's identity) is a state jail felony (180 days to 2 years, up to $10,000 fine). Threatening to share such material to get a benefit, and running a website that promotes it, are also covered. Victims may also sue for actual damages including mental anguish, court costs, attorney's fees and exemplary damages. Tex. Penal Code § 21.16; Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §§ 98B.002, 98B.003; Tex. Penal Code §§ 12.21-12.35 |
| Utah | Yes. Distribution of an intimate image (knowingly distributing or copying an intimate image of an adult without consent, when it was made under a reasonable expectation of privacy and the actor knows it would cause a reasonable person emotional distress, and distress results) is a class A misdemeanor (up to 364 days and $2,500); a second or later conviction from a separate episode is a third-degree felony. Utah also has a separate offense for distributing counterfeit (fake) intimate images. Utah Code §§ 76-5b-203, 76-5b-205; Utah Code §§ 76-3-203, 76-3-204, 76-3-205, 76-3-301 |
| Vermont | Yes. Knowingly disclosing a nude or sexual image of an identifiable person without consent, intending to harm, harass or intimidate, in a way that would cause a reasonable person harm, carries up to 2 years and/or $2,000; disclosing it for financial profit carries up to 5 years and/or $10,000. The law covers realistic digitally altered images, bars websites from charging to remove such images, and gives the victim a private lawsuit for damages and court orders to stop display. 13 V.S.A. § 2606 |
| Virginia | Yes. Maliciously disseminating or selling a nude or partly nude image of another person (including a realistic altered or AI-created image of a real person), with intent to coerce, harass or intimidate and knowing it is not authorized, is a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to 12 months and $2,500). A victim may sue for compensatory and punitive damages plus attorney's fees, whether or not the person was charged. Va. Code §§ 18.2-386.2, 8.01-40.4; Va. Code §§ 18.2-10, 18.2-11 |
| Washington | Yes. Disclosing intimate images (knowingly disclosing an intimate image obtained under circumstances where it was to remain private, knowing the person did not consent and that disclosure would cause harm) is a gross misdemeanor for a first offense (up to 364 days and $5,000) and a class C felony with a prior conviction. A minor is guilty only if the disclosure was intentional and malicious. Victims may also sue under the state's civil remedies act for actual damages or statutory damages up to $10,000, punitive damages, attorney's fees and an injunction; it also covers fabricated (deepfake) intimate images. RCW 9A.86.010; RCW 7.110.020, 7.110.050; RCW 9A.20.021 |
| West Virginia | Yes. Knowingly and intentionally disclosing, or threatening to disclose, an image showing another person's intimate parts or sexual conduct taken where the person expected it to stay private (or an AI-fabricated intimate image of an identifiable person), with intent to harass, intimidate, threaten, humiliate, embarrass or coerce, is a misdemeanor: up to 1 year in jail and/or a $1,000-$5,000 fine. A second or later offense is a felony: up to 3 years in prison and/or a $2,500-$10,000 fine. A civil statute (the Uniform Civil Remedies for Unauthorized Disclosure of Intimate Images Act) lets the depicted person sue, with attorney's fees and injunctive relief available. W. Va. Code §§ 61-8-28a, 55-20-3 |
| Wisconsin | Yes. Posting or publishing a private nude or sexual image (one the depicted person meant only for the person who took it or was given it) knowing the person does not consent, or making a copy of it without consent, is a Class A misdemeanor (up to 9 months and/or $10,000), or a Class I felony if the person depicted was under 18. Secretly capturing an intimate image without consent where there is an expectation of privacy, or distributing such an image, is a Class I felony; posting an AI-made (synthetic) intimate image of an identifiable person to coerce, harass or intimidate is also a Class I felony (Class H if the person depicted was under 18). Conduct prohibited by this statute is also an invasion of privacy for which the victim can sue for an injunction, damages and attorney fees, whether or not anyone is charged. Wis. Stat. §§ 942.09(2), (3m), 995.50(1), (2)(am)4.; Wis. Stat. §§ 939.50, 939.51 |
| Wyoming | Yes. A person 18 or older who shares an intimate image of another identifiable person (including a computer-generated image), knowing or having reason to know the person expected it to stay private and did not expressly consent, with intent to humiliate, harm, harass, threaten or coerce, or for sexual gratification, commits unlawful dissemination of an intimate image: a misdemeanor with up to 1 year and/or a $5,000 fine. Online service providers are not liable for content posted by others. No Wyoming civil-remedy statute specific to intimate images was found. W.S. 6-4-306 |
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.