Dec 27, 2019 | By: Chantelle Calhoun
Minnesota’s “Revenge Porn” Law Declared Unconstitutional
Minnesota’s “Revenge Porn” law has been declared unconstitutional after defendant Michael Anthony Casillas claimed that the statute violated his First Amendment rights.
According to a report from the Minnesota Court of Appeals, in 2017 the State of Minnesota charged Casillas with a felony for non-consensual distribution of private sexual images of his ex-girlfriend after the relationship ended. After obtaining passwords from her wireless accounts, Cassilas gained access to private photos and videos. He sent the victim screen shots of a video he sent to 44 recipients and posted online.
Casillas claimed that the law is unconstitutionally overbroad and vague in violation of his First Amendment rights.
A Dakota County judge rejected Casillas’ First Amendment defense and sentenced him to 23 months in prison, after Casillas was found guilty for non-consensual distribution of the private images that he sent intentionally to cause harm.