Florida

Lawsuit Filed After UCF Fraternity Members Posted Sexual Content Online Without Consent

A fraternity from the University of Central Florida is being sued after the members allegedly posted videos of naked women to a secret Facebook page without the women’s knowledge or consent.

The fraternity, as well as four other fraternity brothers, are being sued after a student in Arizona allegedly discovered that her ex-boyfriend, a member of the fraternity, had shared a video containing sexual content of her.

The video allegedly was shared in a secret Facebook group by the name of “Dog Pound.”

The woman is represented by Michael Avenatti, the same lawyer who represented Stormy Daniels in the lawsuit against President Donald Trump. The suit was filed June 18 in the U.S. District Court in Orlando.

UCF released the following statement,”The university has suspended the fraternity and prohibited it from participating in all activities during our investigation. These allegations are contrary to our core values. Although UCF is not a party to the suit, we take this very seriously.”

Florida statutes define sexual cyberharassment as a crime, categorizing it under Chapter 784, with assault, battery and culpable negligence.

The chapter specifically states that “a person who willfully and maliciously sexually cyberharasses another person commits a misdemeanor of the first degree; [and] a person who has one prior conviction for sexual cyberharassment and who commits a second or subsequent sexual cyberharassment commits a felony of the third degree.”

Sexual cyberharassment, revenge porn, sextortion – whatever you call it, it’s illegal. This crime is committed when someone shares or publishes a nude or semi-nude image or video of another person without their consent. This is is done with the sole purpose to cause emotional harm or distress to the person in the pictures/videos.

Sexual cyberharassment is a serious crime. It’s classified as a first-degree misdemeanor in Florida and punishable by up to one year in jail, one year of probation, and $1,000 in fines for even a first-time offense. A second or subsequent offense is classified as a third-degree felony in Florida and punishable by up to five years in prison, five years of probation, $5,000 in fines, and 60 days vehicle impoundment or immobilization. Moreover, a second offense of sexual cyberharassment is ranked as a Level 1 offense under Florida’s Criminal Punishment Code, where a judge must sentence a person convicted of this crime to a minimum sentence of 10 days in jail and a maximum of five years in prison.

If you are facing criminal charges related to revenge porn, you must seek legal help as soon as you learn you are under investigation. Our Florida Revenge Porn Attorneys at Whittel & Melton can help you establish a strong defense strategy. Call us today at 866-608-5529 or contact us online for a free consultation.

Thu Jun 28, 6:32am