REGINA – A local mother and realtor is worried about her reputation, after inappropriate photos of her started circulating on the web.
The victim has asked to remain anonymous, so we will refer to her as Jane.
She said her face was photo-shopped onto a naked body before being posted on various social media sites.
“They tried on Facebook, Twitter, you name it. And it’s just… It’s just getting worse,” said Jane. “They’re pictures that are not even of me. I don’t know where they’re getting them from. It’s disgusting.”
The photos are giving her nightmares and she has no idea who is behind posting them.
“I’m very outspoken,” said Jane. “Some people don’t like that.”
According to police, anyone that might find themselves in a similar situation should take screenshots of the images right away.
“Gather as much information as you can, and come in to make a report,” said Regina Police Service spokeswoman, Elizabeth Popowich.
Then, to have the picture taken down, flag it to the website’s moderators. Both Facebook and Twitter have simple reporting options attached to each post.
“This sort of thing happens quite often, more often than is reported, because people don’t want to bring attention to the problem,” said Alec Couros, a local social media expert and University of Regina professor.
Despite how common it is becoming, it is illegal. Last fall, the Canadian government introduced Bill C-13, known as the cyber-bullying law.
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“There’s a new act in Canada that’s intended to prevent someone sharing intimate images of a person without their consent,” Popowich explained.
Though she admits it can be challenging to track down suspects.
“If we have an IP address, we have the ability to contact that service provider and then possibly get more information about the person that originally posted that post or comment,” Popowich said. “But they’re under no obligation to share that with us.”
Now Jane is focused on moving forward despite the online attacks.
“I’m going to live my life. I’m going to wake up every day like I do, work like I always do, and continue being a mother. If they think I’m going to quit real-estate, it’s not going to happen. You’re only making me stronger.”
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