Woman successfully sues ex-boyfriend for posting ‘revenge porn’ online
Posted by admin / January 28th, 2016 / No responsesThe Fourteenth Court of Appeals released its published opinion in No. 14-14-00459-CV. A woman successfully sued her ex-boyfriend in Texas for posting “revenge porn” of her on the Internet, receiving $345,000 in damages.
Upset with his ex-girlfriend, Nadia Hussein, for breaking up with him, Akhil Patel posted pornographic video of her to YouTube and porn sites, sending the links to some of Hussein’s family members, as is revealed in released text message exchanges between Patel and Hussein.
Hussein sued Patel for IIED (intentional infliction of emotional distress), defamation, public disclosure of private facts, and intrusion on seclusion, for which she was awarded $500,000.
Patel appealed the decision; the IIED and defamation charges were dropped, resulting in her receiving $345,000, instead of the original $500,000.
“It was traumatizing,” Hussein said in her testimony, “I didn’t know what I—I didn’t know what I could do. . . . I didn’t want to face anyone.”
Before and after posting the videos, Patel harassed Hussein with phone calls, text messages and emails between the years of 2010—their breakup—and 2013—when Hussein sued.
In one of Patel’s messages to Hussein, he writes, “All I want is some kind of response, if I don’t get that at least, even a single “A”, imma act like you IMMATURE and send stuff to spite/hurt you cause you love to hurt me soo much so I guess I will return the favor, im tired of being hurt by you.”
Patel also sent Hussein messages such as “stp rackin up shi on the credit gurl! debt getting hi,” which she interpreted as him having acquired personal information of hers. In Hussein’s testimony, she said that Patel sent her the social security numbers of herself and her mother.
After the videos had been posted, Hussein became less confident, paranoid and more reclusive, according to the testimony of her friends. However, the defense adduced picture of Hussein from her social media accounts-taken during the time in question-out with friends at events.
At one point, Hussein even moved out of her house into a burglar-proof apartment, where she installed an additional lock, Hussein testified.
Hussein and Patel began dating in high school.
http://www.chron.com/national/article/Woman-successfully-sues-ex-boyfriend-for-posting-6787996.php