Mumbai, August 16: In a significant verdict, a US court has granted a substantial $1.2 billion in damages to a woman as part of a "revenge porn" legal case against her ex-boyfriend. The lawsuit pertaining to revenge porn was directed at her former lover, who disclosed her private photos and videos on social media. Additionally, he distributed the insensitive materials among the woman's circle of family, relatives, and colleagues.

The New York Post reported that the woman, identified as D.L. asserted that Marques Jamal Jackson, the defendant, had caused her psychological and sexual distress after he circulated her pictures without consent after the two had broken up, a practice commonly referred to as “revenge porn”. In April 2022, the woman filed her civil lawsuit in the Harris County Civil Court. Her claim contended that Marques Jamal Jackson, her former boyfriend, had leaked her explicit images through fabricated Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube accounts. Revenge Porn? Hwang Ui-jo's XXX Videos Being Sold on Social Media; Soccer Player Accused of Using Hidden Camera to Record Sexual Encounters.

Their relationship started in 2016, following which the couple moved into an apartment in Chicago. As 2020 dawned, their relationship underwent a downfall, leading to an extended period of tumultuous breakups. Subsequently, the woman opted to reside at her mother's home in Texas temporarily. The two officially broke up in October 2021. During the course of their relationship, the woman shared intimate photographs with the defendant. Following the end of their relationship, the accused uploaded these images onto various social media platforms and adult websites, all without her consent.

BBC reported that the accused also sent the links to the photos to her friends and family through a Dropbox folder. The woman also levelled allegations against Jackson that he had gained access to her phone, social media profiles, email, and even the camera system at her mother's residence. Legal representatives contended, as reported by the media that Jackson's actions of sharing the images were aimed at inflicting a distressing blend of psychological mistreatment, domestic aggression, and sexual harm.

The jury ordered to pay the woman $200m for past and future mental anguish, as well as $1 billion in exemplary damages.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 16, 2023 07:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).