The University of Nebraska running back sent a sexually explicit video to a former girlfriend.
University of Nebraska running back Maurice Washington is facing criminal charges for sending a sexually explicit video to his former girlfriend — and because the video in question involves a minor, he also faces distribution of child pornography charges. A graduate of The King’s Academy High School in Sunnyvale, Washington was a top recruit for Nebraska. After he won a scholarship to Nebraska, his former girlfriend reached out to him on social media to extend her congratulations. In response, he allegedly sent the explicit video, along with a threatening message. The video depicts his former girlfriend engaged in sexual activity with two classmates when she was 15 years old. She states that the sexual activity was non-consensual.
Washington has been charged under California’s relatively recent “revenge porn” laws. According to a criminal defense lawyer Riverside, CA, revenge porn (also known as “nonconsensual pornography”) occurs when a person distributes sexually explicit images or videos of another person without their consent. In a revenge porn case, the victim knows about and consents to the recording of the sexual images. The crime occurs when those images or videos are distributed (often on the internet) without their consent. It is a misdemeanor under California law, punishable by probation, up to 6 months in county jail, and/or a fine of up to $1,000. However, the penalties increase to up to a year in county jail and/or a fine of up to $2,000 if a defendant has 1 or more prior convictions for revenge porn or invasion of privacy, or the victim was a minor.
Under California law, revenge porn is defined as:
- Having an image of an intimate body part of an identifiable person, or an image of that person engaged in sexual activity;
- Intentionally distributing that image;
- There was an understanding between you and that person that the image would remain private;
- You knew or should have known that distributing the image would cause serious emotional distress;
- The person suffers serious emotional distress.
According to a skilled criminal defense lawyer Riverside, CA, there are a number of potential defenses to a revenge porn case. For example, if you are charged with this crime, you may argue that you did not intentionally distribute the image; you may have accidentally sent it to another person or posted it online. Alternatively, your attorney could argue that you did not know or should now have known that distributing the image did not cause serious emotional distress, based on your past relationship. With an aggressive criminal defense lawyer Riverside, CA to defend you, you may be able to defeat these charges and achieve a favorable outcome.
At the Chambers Law Firm, we work collaboratively with our clients to develop strong factual and legal defenses. Contact us today at 714-760-4088 or dchambers@clfca.com to schedule a free initial consultation with a seasoned criminal defense lawyer Riverside, CA.
