Top actor wins legal ban on revenge porn videos

A TOP actor has won a High Court revenge porn battle with a former lover to prevent naked snaps and footage of him appearing in social media and magazines.

The actor – identified only by initials JPH – won the order at an emergency hearing on Saturday to stop the images going viral.

Mr. Justice Popplewell said JPH “is a successful professional actor” who “had been in a relationship with XYZ for a number of months, during the course of which a number of photographs and videos were taken on devices belonging to JPH which portrayed nudity and sexual activity.”

He added: “The images and information involve intimate, graphic and sexually explicit material of a highly sensitive and personal nature.

“There is cogent and credible evidence that the effect of disclosure will be highly damaging to JPH both emotionally and financially.”

He said last Friday JPH was contacted by XYZ who threatened to post the images on social media and in magazines.

It is thought that XYZ wanted revenge for JPH having ended their relationship.

The judge revealed that XYZ also sent an e-mail to a former partner of JPH which gave “graphic details of alleged sexual activity by JPH whilst in a relationship with XYZ.”

XYZ also sent the former partner two explicit videos and posted a number of photos on a website.

JPH managed to get those images removed and was entitled to a ban on further publication.

The judge added: “There is no discernible public interest in publication of the images or information. They concern private and lawful behaviour, and there is nothing to suggest that disclosure would contribute anything to a debate of general interest in a democratic society.”

The judge made an anonymity order for both the actor and his former lover. He said if only the actor were anonymised and the lover named it could lead to identification of the actor.

He also restricted access to the court file with all confidential material to be kept in a sealed envelope.