Tyler Appeals Court Dismisses “Revenge Porn” Law

TYLER (AP) – The 12th Court of Appeals in Tyler has struck down a law barring intimate photos and videos from previous or current relationships from being shared online without consent. The ruling says the law violates the First Amendment by restricting expression based on the content of photographs and videos shared online. The court also ordered a revenge porn charge to be dropped against Jordan Bartlett Jones. Court records show Jones challenged the law as unconstitutional while awaiting trial for displaying a naked photograph of a woman in a way that revealed her identity. Texas legislators passed the law in 2015. The ruling only blocks the law in Northeast Texas counties under the 12th Court of Appeals.