Revenge Porn Helpline

Revenge Porn Helpline

A UK service supporting adults (aged 18+) who are experiencing intimate image abuse, also known as, revenge porn.

Telephone (helpline): 0345 6000 459

Email: help@revengepornhelpline.org.uk

Website: revengepornhelpline.org.uk

Intimate image abuse

Intimate image abuse, also referred to as ‘revenge porn’, or image-based sexual abuse is the act of sharing or threatening to share intimate images or videos of someone, either on or offline, without consent. This type of abuse can be committed by anyone, sometimes an aggrieved partner or in the case of a sex worker, an aggrieved client or potential client; you do not have to be in a relationship for it to be considered intimate image abuse. This can affect all genders, and all adults of any age, from 18 to 100! Content can be shared as a way of financial extortion or blackmail; sex workers can be particularly vulnerable to this, being ‘outed’ regarding their work; it is often seen as an element in wider cases of stalking, harassment, or domestic abuse.

It is an offence, in the UK for someone to share or threaten to share, an intimate image of an adult without consent, you can find the legislation here. Intimate content of adults is treated different under UK law, and it is a very important distinction to make. If any sexual images of children (under the age of 18) are created or shared, this is illegal child sexual abuse material, and should be reported to the Internet Watch Foundation. An intimate image, under the UK law for adults, is required to be of a private nature that is not professional or commercial. If the intimate content has already been uploaded online, to a profile or fan page, this may mean that the images are not classified as 'private' and instead, are considered commercially created images.

The Helpline works within a tight remit alongside the UK legislation and may be limited in what we can do to support with the abuse of commercially created intimate content. More information can be found about this on our website here. 

Further resources:

Information and advice for sex workers and content creators.

Tips for staying safe online.

Online welfare advice packs for University students