Your Legal Rights as an NCII Victim in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania NCII Law Overview

Applicable statute: Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Title 18 § 3131 (Unlawful Dissemination of Intimate Image)

Criminal penalty: Second-degree misdemeanor (up to 2 years in prison and $5,000 fine); first-degree misdemeanor if shared for monetary gain

Civil remedies: actual damages and injunctive relief

Pennsylvania's NCII statute addresses the unlawful dissemination of intimate images and specifically provides enhanced penalties when distribution is done for monetary gain, recognizing that commercial exploitation of intimate images represents a particularly egregious form of the violation. Pennsylvania's criminal penalty of up to 2 years even for a second-degree misdemeanor reflects a serious view of this offense.

Your Rights in Pennsylvania

• Right to 48-hour removal under the TAKE IT DOWN Act
• Right to file a criminal complaint
• Right to civil actual damages and injunctive relief
• Right to enhanced protections when distribution was for monetary gain

How to File in Pennsylvania

File a police report with local law enforcement or the Pennsylvania State Police. Civil claims are filed in the Court of Common Pleas.

Local Support Resources

• Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, pcar.org
• RAINN National Hotline, 1-800-656-HOPE

Federal Rights Under the TAKE IT DOWN Act

In addition to Pennsylvania state law, the federal TAKE IT DOWN Act (47 U.S.C. 223a) gives you a direct right to demand removal from any covered platform within 48 hours. Covered platforms, those with 10 million or more monthly US active users, face FTC enforcement with civil penalties up to $50,000 per violation per day if they do not comply. ScanErase's biometric scan finds every platform hosting your images, so you can file the formal notice yourself.