Revenge Porn Laws in Pennsylvania: What Victims Need to Know in 2026
Pennsylvania criminalized non-consensual pornography in 2014, giving victims legal recourse through both criminal and civil channels. If you are a victim in Pennsylvania, this guide explains the law and your options for fighting back.
What Pennsylvania Law Says
Pennsylvania Title 18 Section 3131, the Unlawful Dissemination of Intimate Image statute, makes it a crime to disseminate an intimate image of another person without their consent. A first offense is a second-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. Subsequent offenses are first-degree misdemeanors, carrying up to five years in prison and fines of up to $10,000. If the victim is a minor, the offense is classified as a second-degree felony. The statute also provides for civil remedies, allowing victims to recover actual damages, statutory damages, costs, and attorney fees. Courts may also issue orders requiring the removal or destruction of the intimate images.
What Counts as Revenge Porn in Pennsylvania
Under Pennsylvania law, an intimate image is a photograph, film, videotape, or similar recording of another person who is nude, partially nude, or engaged in sexual conduct. The image must have been made or provided under circumstances where the person had a reasonable expectation of privacy. The dissemination must occur without the depicted person's consent and must be done with the intent to harass, annoy, or alarm the person. Material that was created in a public setting or that the depicted person voluntarily shared publicly is generally excluded. The law applies to any form of dissemination, including online posting, texting, emailing, or distributing physical copies.
How to Report
Pennsylvania victims should take systematic steps to build their case. Start by preserving all evidence: screenshot every instance of the image online, noting the URL, date, and any accompanying text or identifying information. File a police report with your local municipal police or state police barracks, referencing 18 Pa.C.S. Section 3131. Contact the county District Attorney's office to discuss the possibility of criminal prosecution. Consult with a private attorney about civil remedies, including damages and injunctive relief. If the images appear on social media platforms, file NCII reports through each platform's dedicated reporting channel simultaneously, as this can lead to faster removal independent of the criminal process.
Limitations of Criminal Law
Pennsylvania's intent requirement, that the dissemination must be done with intent to harass, annoy, or alarm, can create challenges for prosecutors. The perpetrator may argue their motivation was something other than harassment. Jurisdictional issues are common, especially when images are posted by individuals in other states or hosted on foreign servers. Criminal cases move slowly through the court system, often taking many months. During this time, intimate images can be copied and shared across dozens of sites. Even a successful prosecution resulting in a conviction and prison time does not remove a single image from the internet.
Removing the Content
Content removal must happen alongside, not after, legal proceedings. Every day an image stays online increases the risk of further distribution. The TAKE IT DOWN Act requires platforms to take down reported NCII within 48 hours. StopNCII.org lets victims create hashes of intimate images so that participating platforms can proactively detect and block them. IntimaShield offers professional removal services for victims who need comprehensive help. IntimaShield's approach includes filing DMCA takedown notices, contacting hosting providers when platforms are unresponsive, and escalating to payment processors to apply financial pressure on non-compliant sites. For Pennsylvania victims, combining court-ordered removal with IntimaShield's multi-channel takedown strategy provides the most effective path to getting content offline.