Revenge Porn Laws in Georgia: What Victims Need to Know in 2026
Georgia enacted its revenge porn law in 2014, making it one of the earlier states to address non-consensual intimate images through criminal legislation. Here is what victims in Georgia need to know about the law and their options.
What Georgia Law Says
Georgia Code Section 16-11-90, the Prohibition on Nude or Sexually Explicit Electronic Transmissions statute, makes it a crime to electronically transmit or post nude or sexually explicit images of another person without their consent when the transmission is done to harass or cause financial loss to that person. A first offense is classified as a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature, carrying up to twelve months in jail and a fine of up to $5,000. Subsequent offenses are classified as felonies, punishable by one to five years in prison. The statute has been amended several times to strengthen protections, including expanding the definition of covered conduct and increasing penalties for repeat offenders.
What Counts as Revenge Porn in Georgia
Under Georgia law, the offense covers the electronic transmission or posting of photographs or videos depicting nudity or sexually explicit conduct of another person. The image must have been transmitted without the consent of the person depicted. The statute requires that the transmission was done to harass the depicted person or to cause them financial loss. Nudity is defined broadly to include the showing of the human male or female genitals, pubic area, or buttocks with less than a full opaque covering, or the showing of the female breast with less than a full opaque covering of the nipple. Images that were taken or distributed in contexts where there was no expectation of privacy, or that the subject voluntarily shared publicly, are typically not covered.
How to Report
Georgia victims should take these steps to protect their rights and build a case. Immediately capture screenshots of all instances of the images online, including URLs, dates, and any identifying information about the poster. File a police report with your local police department or county sheriff's office, citing O.C.G.A. Section 16-11-90. Contact the District Attorney's office in the judicial circuit where the offense occurred. Consult with a Georgia attorney about potential civil claims for invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, or other torts. If the images appear on social media, submit NCII reports through each platform's reporting system concurrently.
Limitations of Criminal Law
Georgia's requirement that the transmission be done to harass or cause financial loss creates a prosecutorial hurdle. If the perpetrator claims their motive was something else, such as sharing with friends without malicious intent, it becomes harder to secure a conviction. First-offense penalties as a high and aggravated misdemeanor carry meaningful jail time, but the fact that it remains a misdemeanor can limit law enforcement prioritization. Cross-state and international jurisdiction challenges apply when perpetrators post from outside Georgia. The criminal justice process in Georgia can take many months, during which time images continue to proliferate online. Conviction does not lead to automatic removal of content from the internet.
Removing the Content
Getting images off the internet requires deliberate action separate from the criminal case. The TAKE IT DOWN Act mandates that platforms remove NCII within 48 hours of receiving a valid request. StopNCII.org offers free image hashing to prevent re-uploads across participating platforms. For victims who need help removing content from multiple sites or dealing with uncooperative platforms, IntimaShield provides professional takedown services. IntimaShield uses a three-tier escalation approach: DMCA notices to platforms, complaints to hosting providers, and pressure on payment processors for sites that refuse to comply. This multi-channel strategy maximizes the chances of complete removal and minimizes the time images remain accessible online.