YouTube star Chrissy Chambers launches crowd-funding bid in revenge porn case

A YouTube star who became a victim of revenge porn has launched a crowd-funding campaign to take her former partner to court.

Singer and video blogger Chrissy Chambers, who has a combined following of 580,000 subscribers and nearly 200 million views on her channel with partner Bria Kam, is seeking damages against her British ex-boyfriend after accusing him of posting explicit footage of her after they split up.

Ms Chambers, who lives in Los Angeles, said footage from seven years ago was made into videos and shared on a slew of pornographic websites, clearly identifying her as the participant.

The YouTuber has now started criminal proceedings in the UK and is well on the way towards reaching the 30,000 US dollars (£22,000) to begin civil proceedings for damages.

Any action would be considered a landmark case in the history of revenge porn because the suspect and the complainant are in different jurisdictions.

The 25-year-old said: "Me and my girlfriend, Bria, have been involved in the pursuit of justice for over two years.

"After cutting through mountains of red tape, and even the police turning us away, we learned the legal system does not do enough to protect its victims. This may be our final opportunity for justice."

Revenge porn was made illegal last year, although the law does not apply to content involving Ms Chambers because it was already on the internet before the law came into force.

Ms Chambers, an outspoken revenge porn campaigner, said her only route for reparations was to file a civil lawsuit to get copyright ownership of the videos, which were filmed in 2009.

She said: "These videos by now have racked up tens of thousands of views and have been shared to more than 35 pornography sites.

"Because my ex filmed the videos, he owns the legal copyright to them. Since he uploaded the videos from his home in the UK, the only legal option I have is to file a lawsuit there.

"Without this fundraising campaign, we cannot afford to keep fighting. We fwant to fight for those who have been hurt, whose voices are being systematically taken away.

"Victims deserve justice. They deserve to be safe, protected from - and justly compensated by - the aggressor."

Ann Olivarius, senior partner at London-based McAllister Olivarius which represents victims of sexual offences, said: "Having to worry about covering the cost of filing a court case is deeply unfair to Chrissy.

"She has been sexually violated and that violation was then broadcast by the perpetrator for the world to see.

"A win here would be a win for all victims of revenge pornography who, depending on their particular circumstances, might also be able to use the civil law as Chrissy is doing to sue perpetrators for the harm they have caused."

If Ms Chambers is also awarded copyright as part of resolving this case, she could request the images be taken down from any website, which would be liable for damages if it refused.

This means copyright can be an effective tool to stop the further spread of images while also costing the website operators that profit from revenge pornography.

:: The crowdfunding page is available from generosity.com/fundraising/revenge-porn-victim-seeks-justice