Revenge Porn Laws in Missouri: What Victims Need to Know in 2026

What Missouri Law Says

Missouri addresses revenge porn under Section 573.110 RSMo, titled "Nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images." The penalty depends on who is depicted.

The offense is a class D felony, punishable by up to 7 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. If the image is of a minor or a vulnerable person, it is a class C felony, carrying 3 to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. The statute also lets the depicted person sue for the greater of $10,000 or actual damages, plus attorney's fees. Missouri treats NCII distribution as a felony from the first offense.

Review the statute at the Missouri Legislature website.

What Counts as Revenge Porn in Missouri

Missouri's statute defines the offense through several elements. The image must show an identifiable person engaged in a sexual act or with intimate parts exposed. The image was obtained under circumstances in which a reasonable person would know or understand it was to remain private. The offender intentionally disseminated the image with intent to harass, threaten, or coerce. The offender knew or should have known that the depicted person did not consent to the dissemination.

Missouri's law requires proof that the offender acted with intent to harass, threaten, or coerce. Knowing dissemination without consent is not enough on its own. The law covers all distribution methods, including social media platforms like Reddit and Instagram, websites, messaging services, and email.

How to Report

Missouri victims should follow these steps:

  1. Document all evidence — Screenshot images, save URLs, record account information, and preserve all communications.
  2. File a police report — Contact your local police department or county sheriff. Major departments in Kansas City and St. Louis have digital crime units. Reference Section 573.110 RSMo.
  3. Contact the prosecuting attorney — Each county in Missouri has an elected prosecuting attorney who handles criminal cases.
  4. Report to the FBI — File with the FBI IC3 for internet-based distribution.
  5. Seek a full order of protection — Missouri courts can issue orders of protection under Chapter 455 that address harassment and image distribution.

Limitations of Criminal Law

Missouri treats every offense under this statute as a felony, but the intent requirement can make some cases harder to prove. Sharing images for reasons other than harassment, threats, or coercion may fall outside the statute.

The criminal process takes time, and images remain online throughout. Even felony-level prosecution does not automatically result in content removal from platforms. Law enforcement resources vary across Missouri's urban and rural jurisdictions, and smaller departments may lack resources for digital crime investigation.

Anonymous offenders and cross-jurisdictional cases present additional challenges. The internet's borderless nature means that content originally posted in Missouri can spread globally, beyond the reach of state criminal law.

Removing the Content

Content removal must be pursued independently and urgently.

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 provides a free hashing tool that creates digital fingerprints for participating platforms to block matching content.

IntimaShield offers professional NCII removal services covering multi-platform takedowns, search engine de-indexing. Optional Shield monitoring is a separate subscription for twice-weekly name-and-handle searches.

See also: Kansas's revenge porn law for a neighboring state comparison.

Start a free confidential scan →

Review my removal scope to see the domain count and one-time price before paying. Need links first? Start a free text-only scan. Search only for yourself or with explicit permission; results are possible matches, not proof that every copy has been found.