Thursday, Dec 6, 2012    Text size: 

DENTON, Texas — Revenge porn site PinkMeth.com has been hit with a $1 million suit from a Texas woman who says that its operators published nude photos of her without permission.

Plaintiff Shelby Conklin in a suit filed at Denton County Court claims she was victimized by operators of PinkMeth after they obtained "unauthorized access to private social media accounts" and published naked her pics.  

"The purpose of these illicit websites is to solicit and post suggestive and naked persons [sic] of persons who were photographed without their consent or permission," the suit said. "PinkMeth.com posts the social media pages of their victims including but not limited to their Facebook profiles, for the purpose of embarrassing and harassing them and/or encouraging others to embarrass and harass them."

Conklin said in the suit that PinkMeth's operators can't claim fair use of any of the images they have misappropriated on their website "because the illegal publication of child pornography and adult pornography (in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2257) can never be lawful."

Conklin claims that several of the images included on the site are of those under the age of 18.

"Thus, PinkMeth.com is ostensibly engaged in the illegal distribution of child pornography," the suit said.

 Because nude photos of her were published on the site, Conklin said it "will substantially diminish any likelihood that she will be able to obtain a career in law enforcement." She also claims that she fears for her safety and was "compelled to borrow a firearm from a family friend to protect herself against the possibility of a sexual assault in her own home."

Conklin, through attorney Jason Van Dyke, has asked for a temporary restraining order against operators of PinkMeth.com. She also has asked for Verisign, also named in the suit, to disable the website.

A hearing on the TRO is set for Wednesday.

She also seeks punitive damages of more than $1 million for intrusion on seclusion, public disclosure of private facts, appropriation of her name and likeness and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Van Dyke, when reached by phone by XBIZ, declined comment on the case. Operators of PinkMeth were unreachable at post time.

UPDATE (Dec.6, 7:45 p.m. PST): PinkMeth.com is not accessible.