LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A southeastern Nebraska man has been charged under a new law that makes it a crime to post pornographic images of others without their permission or to use the images for blackmail.
Hayden Butcher, 19, of Waverly, was in Lancaster County Court on Wednesday after being charged under Nebraska’s “revenge porn” law, the Lincoln Journal Star reported. The law was enacted earlier this year.
Butcher turned himself in to authorities on Tuesday and appeared in court Wednesday, where his bond was set at $20,000.
A woman reported to the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office in July that a video of her had been posted to a porn-sharing website. The woman told investigators that she had consensually engaged in video chats with Butcher last year, but had not given him consent to record or permission to share them with anyone.
The email used to set up the account to share videos of the woman was traced back to Butcher, investigators said.
Butcher faces up to 20 years in prison if he’s convicted of the unlawful intrusion count.
Butcher’s attorney, Brad Sipp, told the Journal Star that he thinks law enforcement “jumped the gun” in charging Butcher and believes his client will be exonerated.
