Louisville Police Officer Arrested and Accused of Sending ‘Revenge Porn’ to 19 People

A Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officer is facing distribution of sexually explicit materials charges after allegedly sending explicit pictures of one female to at least 19 others. The police officer is currently out of jail on a $10,000 surety bond in the “revenge porn” case.

The LMPD officer was already out on administrative leave before these latest charges were levied against him. His employer was awaiting the adjudication of a prior domestic violence case, and an internal investigation into an officer-involved shooting in which the officer in question took a man’s life during a police stop—which Kentucky State Police recently determined was warranted. LMPD has extended the officer’s administrative leave in light of his new charges.

In terms of the officer’s most recent “revenge porn” allegations, the law enforcement officer may face more than criminal charges in the immediate future.

A recently passed federal law, the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022, which comprises Section 1309 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, went into effect on Oct. 1, 2022. The Violence Against Women Act gives revenge porn victims the right to file a federal lawsuit against those individuals who they allege disclosed intimate images without the depicted individual’s prior consent.

As a side note, the Violence Against Women Act does include exceptions where such disclosure may not be seen as a violation of law and thus not warrant the filing of a federal civil lawsuit, such as:

• Most commercial pornographic content
• Disclosures made pursuant to a law enforcement, medical, or legal investigation
• Other situations deemed to “reasonably intended to assist” an individual

In this case, the victim apparently discovered the police officer’s alleged dissemination of the photograph of her bare chest because he reportedly sent the image to group chat contacts, many of which were the victim’s friends and acquaintances. Those associates notified the alleged victim of the potential unauthorized distribution of her image.

Under the newly enacted federal law, victims like this would potentially be entitled to recover monetary compensation by filing a lawsuit in their cases. Additionally, such an award would come with a judge’s order to the defendant to discontinue the unauthorized dissemination of the image in question.

Thomas Law Offices represents sexual assault clients nationwide who’ve unsuspectingly been forced to endure an intimate partner’s or someone else’s distribution of private or sexually explicit photographs to others. Our trial lawyers are eager to learn more about how someone disseminated revenge porn unbeknownst to you so that we can advise you of your rights, which may include filing a federal lawsuit to recover financial damages to seek justice for what occurred. Reach out to our team for a free consultation to discuss your case now.