>>> IMAGINE AN OLD FRIEND CALLING YOU UP TO TELL YOU THEY
HAD SEEN NUDE PHOTOS OF YOU
ONLINE AND YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW
THEY GOT THERE.
NOT ONLY THAT, THE COPS TELL YOU
IT’S NOT A CRIME.
THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED TO KAITLYN
BOWDEN AND IT CHANGED HER LIFE
FOREVER.
FOREVER. WATCH THIS.
WATCH THIS. IN MAY OF 2017, 32-YEAR-OLD
KAITLYN BOWDEN RECEIVED A
FACEBOOK MESSAGE SHE WAS NOT
EXPECTING.
EXPECTING. >> IT WAS A GIRL I HADN’T TALK
TO IN A FEW YEARS.
SHE WAS MESSAGING ME TO LET ME
KNOW THAT NUDE PICTURES OF ME
WERE ONLINE.
WERE ONLINE. >> SHE CHECKED ONLINE, AND TO
HER HORROR SHE FOUND THE PHOTOS.
>> THERE WAS A PART OF ME THAT
FELT ASHAMED.
FELT ASHAMED. I SHOULDN’T BE ASHAMED FOR THAT.
MOSTLY I FELT HELPLESS.
>> BOWDEN SAID SHE SOON FIGURED
OUT AN ACQUAINTANCE STOLE HER
PHONE AND UPLOADED HER PRIVATE
PHOTOS TO A PUBLIC MESSAGE BOARD
ONLINE.
ONLINE. >> I CONFRONTED HIM, ASKED HIM
HOW HE GOT THE IMAGES, WHY HE
WOULD DO THAT TO ME.
HE SAID PEOPLE WERE ASKING FOR
THEM ONLINE.
THEM ONLINE. >> SHE FRANTICALLY RUSHED TO GET
THE PHOTOS REMOVED BUT THEY KEPT
RESURFACING.
RESURFACING. >> I GOT THEM DOWN AFTER ABOUT,
YOU KNOW, A COUPLE DAYS.
AS WE KNOW WITH THE INTERNET,
NOTHING STAYS DOWN FOREVER.
THEY WERE REPOSTED IN A COUPLE
MONTHS.
MONTHS. >> THAT’S WHEN BOWDEN DECIDED TO
FIGHT BACK.
FIGHT BACK. >> IN AUGUST I HAD ENOUGH.
MY PICTURES HAD GONE UP A FEW
OTHER TIMES AND I WAS DONE
LETTING THIS HAPPEN TO ME
ANYMORE.
ANYMORE. JOINING ME NOW, KAITLYN BOWDEN.
THANKS FOR JOINING ME.
CAN WE TALK ABOUT THIS, I SAY TO
YOUNG WOMEN, BE VERY CAREFUL,
VERY CAREFUL ABOUT NAKED SELFIES
AND SENDING TO BOYFRIENDS.
NOT THAT ONUS SHOULD BE ON THE
YOUNG WOMAN BUT THE POINT IS
THIS HAPPENED.
THIS HAPPENED. HOW DID YOUR BOYFRIENDS GET
AHOLD OF NAKED PICTURES FOR YOU.
>> HONESTLY, I TOOK THEM FOR
HIM.
HIM. HE WAS HAVING A BAD DAY AT WORK.
I SENT A COUPLE OF PICTURES.
>> I KNOW HOW TO FIX THAT.
>> WE WERE IN A RELATIONSHIP
THREE YEARS.
THREE YEARS. I DIDN’T SEE A PROBLEM WIT.
I TRUSTED HIM COMPLETELY.
UNTIL HIS CELL PHONE WAS STOLEN,
I HAD NO REASON NOT TO TRUST
HIM.
HIM. >> HE WASN’T THE ONE THAT
BETRAYED YOU.
BETRAYED YOU. THEY GOT THE CODE TO ENTER THE
CELL PHONE.
CELL PHONE. >> HE DIDN’T KEEP HIS PHONE
LOCKED.
LOCKED. >> YOU KNEW THE GUY THAT POSTED
THE PHOTOS.
THE PHOTOS. >> I DID.
>> I DID. WHEN HE UPLOADED THEM HE USED
HIS X BOSS LIVE USER NAME.
>> HOW IS HE SORRY IN THE TEXT,
OH, OKAY, I’LL TAKE THEM DOWN,
LIKE HE DIDN’T KNOW IT WOULD
EMBARRASS YOU.
EMBARRASS YOU. >> IN MOST STATES FOR IT TO BE
ILLEGAL, HAVE YOU TO PROVE
INTENT TO HARM.
THAT WAS PROBABLY HIM TRYING TO
GET OUT OF THAT.
SAYING I DIDN’T REALIZE IT WAS
GOING TO HURT YOU.
WHAT DID HE THINK WOULD HAPPEN.
>> DO THE PEOPLE THAT POST
THEM --
THEM -- >> INTERNET HIGH FIVES.
COOL ON A MESSAGE BOARD.
>> USUALLY THE BOYFRIEND, IN
THIS CASE SOMEBODY ELSE, DO IT
TO HURT YOU, CALLED REVENGE
PORN.
PORN. YOU SEND IT IN BETTER TIMES AND
YOU BREAK UP AND THEY WANT TO
HURT YOU.
HURT YOU. IN SO MANY STATES, AS YOU’RE
ABOUT TO FIND OUT, IT’S
PERFECTLY LEGAL.
PERFECTLY LEGAL. SO YOU WERE IN OHIO.
YOU GO TO THE COP AND WHAT DO
THEY SAY?
THEY SAY? >> BECAUSE I’M OVER AGE, THERE’S
NOTHING THEY CAN DO.
IT IS TOTALLY LEGAL THAT THE
ONLY CRIME BEING COMMITTED WAS
THE CELL PHONE BEING STOLEN.
>> YOU WERE NOT THE PLAINTIFF IN
THAT, YOU WERE NOT THE VICTIM
BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T OWN THE
PHONE.
PHONE. >> THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO.
>> HOW MUCH STATES HAVE
ADDRESSED REVENGE PORN AND MADE
IT ILLEGAL.
IT ILLEGAL. >> THERE ARE NOW 40, I BELIEVE,
THAT HAVE IT ILLEGAL IN SOME
WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.
WE’RE WORKING ON OHIO.
WE JUST INTRODUCED A BILL GOING
TO THE SENATE.
WE’RE DOING THINGS, TRYING TO
CHANGE IT.
CHANGE IT. >> YOU FORMED A GROUP CALLED
BADASS.
BADASS. >> BATTLING AGAINST SHARING.
>> WHAT’S THE POINT OF THE
GROUP?
GROUP? WHAT DO YOU DO?
>> WE’RE TRYING TO ERADICATE
REVENGE PORN HOWEVER WE K WE’RE
HITTING IT WITH LEGISLATION.
WE’RE WORKING ON EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAMS.
PROGRAMS. WE’RE WORKING ON DEVELOPMENT,
CREATING OPPORTUNITIES USING
TECH FOR VICTIMS.
>> CAN YOU HELP THE WOMEN GET
THE PHOTOS TAKEN DOWN?
>> WE CAN.
>> EVEN IN STATES WHERE IT’S
LEGAL.
LEGAL. >> WE CAN HELP THEM GET THE
PHOTOS DOWN FOR FREE.
WE TEACH THEM HOW THEY CAN FIGHT
BACK.
BACK. >> CIVIL LAWSUITS ARE AN
IMPORTANT PART OF THIS.
YOU’VE GOT TO GET POSTERS TO
HAVE SKIN IN THE GAME, IDEALLY
FINANCIAL SKIN IF NOT CRIMINAL
SKIN, LIKE I’M GOING TO COME
AFTER YOU WITH A LOT OF MONEY IF
YOU POST A PICTURE OF ME.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. WE HAVE LAWYERS READY TO OFFER
LEGAL ADVICE IF THEY CAN.
WE’RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO
EMPOWER VICTIMS TO FIGHT BACK ON
THEIR OWN.
THEIR OWN. IF NO ONE IS GOING TO DEFEND US,
WE’VE GOT TO DO IT ON OUR OWN.
>> I’VE GOT TO SAY, HOW MANY
RELATIONSHIPS HAVE YOU HAD IN
YOUR LIFE THAT’S GREAT AND THEN
IT GOES SOUTH.
BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT POSTING
NAKED PHOTOS.
NAKED PHOTOS. BIKINIS, SEXY, SOMETIMES SEXIER.
A WORD TO THE WISE, IT’S NOT
YOUR FAULT BUT DOESN’T HURT TO