Texas Woman Awarded $1.2 Billion in Damages in Revenge Porn Lawsuit
Last week, a Texas woman identified only by the initials D.L. won a landmark legal battle against her former boyfriend, Marques Jamal Jackson. The woman accused Jackson of sending intimate images of her to her family, friends, and co-workers from fake online accounts. The court ruled in her favor, awarding her $1.2 billion in damages.
According to court documents, D.L. and Jackson began dating in 2016 and were living together in Chicago until they started a “long and drawn-out break up” in early 2020. D.L. temporarily moved to her mother’s house in Texas, where Jackson allegedly used the security system to spy on her.
In October 2021, the couple officially ended their relationship, and D.L. asked Jackson to no longer have access to the intimate material she had previously shared with him. However, instead of respecting her wishes, Jackson posted the images on various social media platforms and websites, including a pornographic website and an online file-sharing service. He identified her by name, address, and images of her face. He also created fake social media pages and email accounts to share the material with her family, friends, and co-workers.
The lawsuit states that Jackson’s actions persisted even days before the complaint was filed in April 2022. He also allegedly used D.L.’s personal bank account to pay his rent, harassed her with calls and text messages from masked numbers, and falsely accused her of submitting a fraudulent loan application.
In a disturbing email to D.L. cited in the lawsuit, Jackson wrote, “You will spend the rest of your life trying and failing to wipe yourself off the internet.” However, he was not present in court on the day of the ruling, and it is unclear if he had legal representation or if he could be reached for comment.
The jury in Houston found Jackson liable for violating Texas’ revenge porn law and ordered him to pay $200 million for past and future mental anguish, as well as $1 billion in punitive damages. It is unlikely that the full $1.2 billion will be paid out, but D.L.’s lawyer, Brad Gilde, hopes that the verdict will serve as a deterrent for others.
Gilde emphasized the significance of the jury’s decision, stating that it affirmed D.L.’s claims and provided validation. He also highlighted the importance of using the term “image-based sexual abuse” instead of “revenge porn” to describe these cases. This terminology shift aims to acknowledge the severity of the crime and avoid trivializing the actions or blaming the victim.
The case sheds light on the importance of addressing revenge porn and image-based sexual abuse, as many law firms hesitate to take on “person-versus-person” cases due to the lack of insurance or reliable means of recovering damages. Gilde hopes that the verdict will encourage other survivors to come forward and that law enforcement will take proactive measures to prevent such incidents from happening again.
This verdict serves as a milestone in the fight against revenge porn and sends a strong message that those who engage in such activities will face severe consequences.