"Victims can sue the person who leaked the images and 16 states now have criminal cyberstalking or harassment laws that criminalize such situations, she said. That's a significant improvement since 2004 when New Jersey first passed legislation addressing revenge porn, according to Danielle Citron, a professor at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law and author of the book "Hate Crimes in Cyberspace." Federal cyberstalking law may also apply if the person share the images online repeatedly, she said.
But federal law enforcement agencies often don't prioritize revenge porn cases, said Citron, and even victims who approach local law enforcement may have a tough time getting them to take their cases seriously even if they live in a state with a specific law on the books.
"Law enforcement often doesn't get the technology and doesn't want to admit that — and they also often don't understand the law," Citron said."