Revenge Porn Laws in Idaho: What Victims Need to Know in 2026
What Idaho Law Says
Idaho enacted its revenge porn law under Idaho Code Section 18-6609, titled "Video voyeurism." The statute was expanded to cover the nonconsensual distribution of intimate images, classifying the offense as a misdemeanor.
A misdemeanor conviction carries penalties of up to one year in county jail and fines up to $2,000. For repeat offenses or cases involving minors, enhanced penalties may apply. While Idaho's penalties are moderate compared to felony-level states, the law provides an important criminal remedy for victims of NCII distribution.
The statute is available at the Idaho Legislature website.
What Counts as Revenge Porn in Idaho
Idaho's statute defines the offense through these elements. The content must depict another person in a state of nudity or engaged in sexual activity. The image must have been captured in circumstances where the person had a reasonable expectation of privacy. The offender must disseminate the image without the depicted person's consent. The offender must have acted with intent to degrade, harass, or annoy the depicted person.
The law covers all forms of electronic distribution, including posting on social media platforms such as Reddit and Instagram, messaging services, email, and websites. Physical distribution of printed images is also covered.
How to Report
Idaho victims should take these steps:
- Preserve evidence — Screenshot everything, save URLs, document account names and timestamps, and preserve communications with the offender.
- Contact local law enforcement — File a report with your city police or county sheriff's office. Reference Idaho Code 18-6609.
- Contact the county prosecutor — Idaho's elected county prosecutors handle criminal cases. You can reach out directly if law enforcement is slow to respond.
- Report to the FBI — File with the FBI IC3 for internet-based distribution.
- Seek a protection order — Idaho courts can issue no-contact orders and protective orders that address ongoing harassment, including image distribution.
Limitations of Criminal Law
Idaho's criminal law faces practical limitations common to many states. The intent requirement — proving the offender acted with intent to degrade, harass, or annoy — creates a barrier to prosecution, as offenders may argue they had other motivations. Misdemeanor charges may also receive lower priority in the criminal justice system.
Idaho's rural geography means that many law enforcement agencies have limited resources for digital crime investigation. Cases involving anonymous online accounts or out-of-state offenders present jurisdictional challenges that can significantly delay or prevent prosecution.
The criminal process does not address content removal. Even successful prosecution leaves images online and accessible. Platforms are not parties to criminal cases and are under no obligation to remove content based on a state court conviction alone.
Removing the Content
Victims must pursue content removal separately from any criminal case.
The TAKE IT DOWN Act provides a federal mechanism requiring platforms to remove NCII within 48 hours of a valid takedown request.
StopNCII.org enables victims to create digital hashes of their images that participating platforms use to automatically detect and block matching content.
IntimaShield offers professional NCII removal services covering multi-platform takedowns, search engine de-indexing, and ongoing monitoring for re-uploads.
See also: Washington's revenge porn law for a Pacific Northwest comparison.
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