YouTuber Wins Landmark Revenge Porn Case

A YouTube celebrity has won unprecedented damages against a man who uploaded “revenge pornography” videos of her to the internet.

In the first civil case of its kind to be brought in England and Wales, Chambers sued her former partner for harassment, breach of confidence and misuse of private information, after learning that the Crown Prosecution Service would not bring criminal charges against him.

Although it has been illegal in England since April 2015 to post private sexual images online without consent, the videos of Chambers were uploaded in 2011, meaning the criminal law did not apply. She brought the civil case in March 2016, settling out of court in December 2017.

Chambers’ victory was made public on Wednesday when a statement of the settlement was read in open court.

Chambers’ victory in the civil courts marks the end of a four-year legal battle. As well as damages, Chambers has won copyright of the videos, so she can pursue any websites that host them, and received an apology from her ex-boyfriend.

Following the case, Chrissy Chambers said the victory "should serve as a severe warning to those who seek to extort and harm with revenge porn: you cannot do this with impunity, and you will be held accountable for your actions,"

"To every victim of this insidious kind of attack, I am here to say: You can fight back, and win. You will heal and move on - and you will not have to take those steps alone."

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