Revenge Porn Laws in Washington, D.C.: What Victims Need to Know in 2026

What D.C. Law Says

Washington, D.C. enacted the Criminalization of Non-Consensual Pornography Act of 2014 (D.C. Code Sections 22-3051 through 22-3057), making it a criminal offense to distribute intimate images without the depicted person's consent. Disclosing an image to five or fewer people is a misdemeanor. Publishing it to six or more people or online is a felony (first-degree unlawful publication).

Unlawful disclosure and second-degree unlawful publication carry up to 180 days in jail and fines up to $1,000. First-degree unlawful publication carries up to 3 years in prison and fines up to $12,500. D.C. also provides a civil cause of action under a separate law, the Uniform Civil Remedies for Unauthorized Disclosure of Intimate Images Act (D.C. Code 7-2161 and following), allowing victims to recover actual or statutory damages, attorney's fees, and other relief. The district's law was among the earlier NCII statutes in the nation.

Review the statute at the D.C. Council website.

What Counts as Revenge Porn in D.C.

D.C.'s law defines the offense through the following elements. The content must be a photograph, video, or other visual recording of an identified or identifiable person showing an unclothed private area or sexual conduct. The distribution must occur without the consent of the depicted person. The offender must know, or consciously disregard a substantial risk, that the depicted person did not consent. The offender must act with intent to harm the depicted person or to receive financial gain.

D.C.'s statute requires proof that the offender intended to harm the depicted person or to profit. The law covers all forms of distribution, including social media platforms like Reddit and Twitter/X, as well as websites, messaging apps, and email.

How to Report

D.C. victims should take these steps:

  1. Preserve all evidence — Screenshot images, save URLs, document account information, and preserve any related messages or communications.
  2. Contact the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) — File a report at your local district station or call the non-emergency line at (202) 727-9099. Reference D.C. Code 22-3052.
  3. Know who prosecutes — In D.C., the U.S. Attorney's Office prosecutes these offenses, not the Office of the Attorney General.
  4. File with the FBI — Report to the FBI IC3 for internet-based distribution.
  5. Seek a civil protection order — D.C. Superior Court can issue civil protection orders that address the distribution of intimate images.

Limitations of Criminal Law

D.C.'s criminal statute provides a foundation for prosecution, but faces several practical limitations. Disclosure to a small group is only a misdemeanor, and such cases may receive lower priority than felonies, leading to longer processing times. The Metropolitan Police Department handles a high volume of cases, and digital crimes may not always receive immediate attention.

Jurisdictional complexity is a particular challenge in D.C. because the district sits at the intersection of Maryland and Virginia, and internet-based crimes frequently cross these boundaries. Coordination between D.C., federal, and neighboring state law enforcement can slow investigations. The federal nature of D.C.'s legal system also creates unique procedural considerations.

Even with a conviction, the criminal process does not remove content from the internet. Images may persist on platforms, in search engine caches, and on mirror sites long after a case concludes. The victim bears the burden of separately pursuing content removal from each platform.

Removing the Content

Content removal must proceed on a separate, faster track from criminal prosecution.

The TAKE IT DOWN Act requires covered platforms to remove qualifying intimate imagery and make reasonable efforts to remove known identical copies within 48 hours of a valid request. The platform and request must meet the law's requirements. See FTC guidance; this is not a universal service turnaround guarantee.

StopNCII.org allows victims to create digital hashes of their images that participating platforms use to proactively block sharing, without requiring the actual images to be uploaded.

IntimaShield files intimate-image removal requests as your authorized representative across multiple sites and files Google and Bing de-index requests for the links in your case. Monitoring of your names and handles is a separate Shield subscription.

See also: Virginia's revenge porn law for a neighboring jurisdiction's approach.

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