23 Women File Class-Action Lawsuit Against Revenge Porn Site
In what is likely the first case of its kind, 23 women have joined a class-action lawsuit against the “revenge porn” website Texxxan.com.
Not sure what revenge porn is? Congratulations, you’re a good person.
Revenge porn is what you get when jilted exes and one-time hookups submit photos and videos of their sexual exploits for public consumption. While some of the material on these sites has been stolen by strangers off of phones and computers, all of it has one big thing in common: The women in these photos and videos didn’t consent to share them.
Hollie Toups, a 32-year-old resident of Beaumont, Texas, is one of those women. In addition to signing on to the lawsuit, she publicly came forward to discuss her experience with revenge porn in an effort to encourage other women to do the same.
As she told BetaBeat:
“I live in an extremely small town and the website was flooded with people that I knew,” Ms. Toups said. “Those of us on there go to the grocery store and everybody recognizes you. Not everybody says something, but you get a lot of like, ‘Hey, do I know you?’ or, ‘I recognize you from somewhere.’ But then you also get people that will just come out and say it.”
In addition to Texxxan.com, lawyers have also named Web hosting company GoDaddy.com in the suit:
“GoDaddy is profiting off of it,” said John S. Morgan, Ms. Toups’ lawyer. “The reality of it is at some level this issue of revenge porn has to become a public discussion and a legislative discussion and it raises issues of corporate responsibility. Why would an organization like GoDaddy want to give its name to this type of website?”
After discovering her photos on Texxxan.com, Toups contacted the site owner and asked him to remove them. “They replied and said they would be happy to remove the pictures for me if I would enter my credit card information,” she told BetaBeat. “I went from being depressed and embarrassed to being really pissed off.”
This kind of extortion is common with revenge porn sites, but Toups struggled to find a lawyer willing to represent her. After much searching, John S. Morgan, an attorney in Southeast Texas, agreed to help Toups build her case.
Many proprietors of revenge porn websites claim they are protected under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which states that websites are not liable for content submitted by users. Morgan argues that because these sites advertise their content as being posted without the subject’s consent, they aren’t protected by this law.
But it isn’t just the website that Morgan is after; he intends to sue all those who signed up for a subscription on Texxxan.com, paying a monthly fee to get access to more personal information of the women in the photos.
Toups is optimistic that justice will be served through the suit, but is also glad to be talking openly about a problem so many women face in secret:
“I’ve been trying to figure out why this happened,” Ms. Toups said. “Maybe it happened to me so I could help someone. Several of the girls that I’ve been in contact with have been suicidal and I feel like if I had reached them sooner they would not even have attempted that. I’m one of the older ones–most of them are younger–so I felt somebody has to start it. And I knew that once I did even the ones who were scared would end up coming out.”
Want to have sex with your husband or boyfriend? You can claim morality as long as the rest of the world can pretend your sexuality doesn't exist. If your husband or boyfriend shares the photos though, people can see that GASP not only do you have sex but you enjoy it! wHORE
I notice scummy men always make note of the girl smiling during the act in the picture as if that makes her immoral and deserving of ridicule.
Quoting PortiaRose:
. This isn't to pick on her but I can see through many posts relating to women or sexuality she buys heavily into the ideas of what proper modesty is and still seems to have some level of holding women accountable where they shouldn't be
Quoting PortiaRose:wow.
so because a woman likes how she looks naked, she has no self respect? please tell me youre not that ridiculous on a daily basis.
Quoting lga1965:
Yes its obvious that they should pay for what they did. A website like that is sick. Revenge? That's. Horrible.
But still I question the decision to pose nude for anyone. I think its risky and is poor judgment. Pose without having a picture taken. What happened to being modest? Self respect?
Quoting celticwych:
This kind of thinking reminds me of someone saying "she deserved to get raped or she asked for it wearing short shorts and revealing clothes. Just because YOUR not comfortable with it doesnt mean everyone is or should be. Im def. not comfortable with my picture being taken with clothes on let alone off. My insecurities doesnt mean everyone else is wrong. It def. takes more guts then I have but just becuase you pose for your boyfriend doesnt mean your exibitionist. It means they trusted him. Just because someone has poor judgement doesnt make it okay for someone else to take advantage. The people that posted these videos and pictures should be held accountable period. Sometimes you have to put your money where your mouth is and to me they deserve to pay for there bad decision of posting just like the girls are paying for there bad decision of trusting someone with there naked bodies.
Quoting lga1965:
This is bizarre and seems to reflect what is happening to people now. They are becoming amoral and narcissistic and cruel. First of all----why have a picture taken of you naked anyway? It is not a good sign and could mean you are an exhibitionist .That's something most average people don't do and I would never have done or never will. Even at my best weight and sexiest figure, I would never have allowed anyone to do it, not even DH. Hidden cameras? What kind of people do you know who would do that?
Its everyone's fault-the person whose nude picture is posted and the person who posts it at the incredibly crass and idiotic site. How can these women win ?are they really that naive to think what they did was innocent and wouldn't someday get them in trouble? Will they sue on the basis of being ignorant?I suppose they will win but it seems so obvious that they were using pooor judgement.
I think its a huge mistake for anyone to share nude photos with anyone. It always ends up being a mistake. Look at how this ended up! You can't always blame every other person for your mistakes. And this has nothing to do with rape . Whoever tried to tie these incidents together is wrong.
Quoting parentalrights1:Quoting PortiaRose:
. This isn't to pick on her but I can see through many posts relating to women or sexuality she buys heavily into the ideas of what proper modesty is and still seems to have some level of holding women accountable where they shouldn't be
I'm just as disturbed as you. i watch porn, but after this i wont.
this is just waaaay too disturbing.
Why cant I take pictures of myself, unclothed? so because I have a body, and its attractive, and men want to see it, I cant even enjoy it, myself? Im not even allowed to do that cuz someone might take it, and ridicule me for it, and it would be my fault.....?
What??? we usually dont agree but our minds are BOTH blown. Gawd, the whole original sin thing has totally been beat into us, to death.
Quoting parentalrights1:
The more I read the comments the more sick I feel.
Stop fucking blaming women for everything. Stop trying to make women wrong for being sexual beings or trusting someone they were with. Start holding men to higher standards instead of jumping to the "punish the slut" mentality
why is it not ok for her to be naked? why??? She cant be naked, anywhere, for any reason? whats wrong with taking pics of her body? cuz its evil, cuz shes pretty??
Quoting lga1965:
You do realize that you are "talking about me behind my back "except I am here......
I think its a huge mistake for anyone to share nude photos with anyone. It always ends up being a mistake. Look at how this ended up! You can't always blame every other person for your mistakes. And this has nothing to do with rape . Whoever tried to tie these incidents together is wrong.
Quoting parentalrights1:
Quoting PortiaRose:
. This isn't to pick on her but I can see through many posts relating to women or sexuality she buys heavily into the ideas of what proper modesty is and still seems to have some level of holding women accountable where they shouldn't be
How do I lack self respect by enjoying my form? cuz being naked is a sign of whoredom?
Quoting lga1965:
I like the way I look naked too but I'm not sharing my nakedness with anyone. That is called self respect and good sense.
Quoting PortiaRose:
wow.
so because a woman likes how she looks naked, she has no self respect? please tell me youre not that ridiculous on a daily basis.
Quoting lga1965:
Yes its obvious that they should pay for what they did. A website like that is sick. Revenge? That's. Horrible.
But still I question the decision to pose nude for anyone. I think its risky and is poor judgment. Pose without having a picture taken. What happened to being modest? Self respect?
Quoting celticwych:
This kind of thinking reminds me of someone saying "she deserved to get raped or she asked for it wearing short shorts and revealing clothes. Just because YOUR not comfortable with it doesnt mean everyone is or should be. Im def. not comfortable with my picture being taken with clothes on let alone off. My insecurities doesnt mean everyone else is wrong. It def. takes more guts then I have but just becuase you pose for your boyfriend doesnt mean your exibitionist. It means they trusted him. Just because someone has poor judgement doesnt make it okay for someone else to take advantage. The people that posted these videos and pictures should be held accountable period. Sometimes you have to put your money where your mouth is and to me they deserve to pay for there bad decision of posting just like the girls are paying for there bad decision of trusting someone with there naked bodies.
Quoting lga1965:
This is bizarre and seems to reflect what is happening to people now. They are becoming amoral and narcissistic and cruel. First of all----why have a picture taken of you naked anyway? It is not a good sign and could mean you are an exhibitionist .That's something most average people don't do and I would never have done or never will. Even at my best weight and sexiest figure, I would never have allowed anyone to do it, not even DH. Hidden cameras? What kind of people do you know who would do that?
Its everyone's fault-the person whose nude picture is posted and the person who posts it at the incredibly crass and idiotic site. How can these women win ?are they really that naive to think what they did was innocent and wouldn't someday get them in trouble? Will they sue on the basis of being ignorant?I suppose they will win but it seems so obvious that they were using pooor judgement.
Quoting PortiaRose:
my solution? HENTAI :D
Some screwed up stuff in hentai, but at least it isn't real lol
Who would you save?
- Goodwoman614
on Jan. 24, 2013 at 3:39 AM