Revenge porn victim 'constantly paranoid' after topless images shared online
BBCA record number of victims of so-called revenge porn reported intimate image abuse to a dedicated UK helpline last year.
In 2024, the Revenge Porn Helpline, funded by the Home Office, recorded 22,227 new cases, a 20.9% increase from the previous year.
Non-consensual intimate image (NCII) abuse is illegal in the UK, and occurs when sexual photos or videos are produced, published or reproduced without consent, both online and offline.
The helpline manually reports non-consensual intimate images for removal on behalf of victims, by using reverse image searches, and ing the platforms where the content was shared.
The service helped to remove 81,000 intimate images last year, but despite this, re-victimisation rose by 260%, with 61,213 previously reported images continuing to circulate online.
Helpline manager Sophie Mortimer said revenge porn was one of "the most significant and concerning digital harms affecting adults".
'The shame shouldn't be on me'
Jasmine, 28, says she never thought she would become a victim of revenge porn when she shared intimate topless images of herself with an ex-boyfriend.
"You only send photos to people you trust, I'd known him for years. I never would have suspected that he would do it," she said.
"A close friend at the time messaged me to say, 'hey, look, I've come across you on these websites', and that was the first I'd heard of it. I'm not sure how long it had been happening before then," she added.
Jasmine describes feeling "constant paranoia" ever since her intimate images were shared eight years ago.
"It's horrendous, to be honest, even to the point where if a man smiles at me on the street, I'm like: 'Are you polite? Or have you seen me on one of these websites":[]}