LAS VEGAS — Revenge porn website operator Hunter Moore has been hit with a $250,000 defamation judgment brought against him by James McGibney, the CEO of anti-bullying website Bullyville.com.
McGibney's attorney Marc Randazza of the The Randazza Legal Group, lodged the complaint that said the defamation was not related to Moore’s revenge porn activities, but statements issued about McGibney.
Moore, who gained infamy by publishing submitted nude photos, accompanying comments and social media links without securing permission from the subjects, sold his hugely popular IsAnyoneUp.com website to McGibney in April 2012 for an undisclosed sum.
The judgment against Moore said that he falsely accused McGibney of possessing child pornography and engaging in child abuse.
Submitted evidence included a list of derogatory comments about McGibney allegedly tweeted by Moore from his IsAnyoneUp and HunterMoore accounts that the complaint said were sent to more than 160,000 people.
“While Randazza Legal Group is more well known for defending defamation cases, we take plaintiff's side defamation cases when we think the cause is just. This was one such case,” Randazza said.
“In this case, Hunter Moore falsely accused our client of possessing child pornography and engaging in child abuse. As you can see in the judgment, this was not just a situation where the plaintiff was merely upset by the defendant's words. We were required to put on evidence of damages, which we did. The court agreed that we proved up $250,000 in damages, which is everything we asked for on the client's behalf.”
McGibney will reportedly donate the $250,000 to women's shelters across the U.S.
BBC News said that McGibney has also launched a class action suit against IsAnyoneUp.com, inviting users to come forward with complaints.
McGibney also noted, "We'll soon be launching a brand new site for IsAnyoneUp.com that not only shows the history and eventual dismantling of this disturbing website, but also brings valuable information to people who have been wronged by similar behavior."
Moore declined to defend the case, according to the court order.