Suit targets revenge porn site

Nevada, FTC allege violations by Myex.com

A federal lawsuit filed in Nevada this week charges the owners and operators of the international “revenge porn” website Myex.com with violating state and federal law.

The website, originally based out of Las Vegas, encouraged people to submit sexually explicit photos and videos of their former partners.

As of December, it had cataloged and posted more than 12,600 submissions without consent — or attempts to gain consent — from the subjects of the images, according to the complaint, which was filed by the Federal Trade Commission and the state of Nevada.

At least some of the images also featured minors who were under the legal age of consent, the complaint adds.

The website was no longer active as of Wednesday.

While the photos were typically sexual in nature, the lawsuit accuses the company that manages the website, EMP Media Inc., along with the people and parties responsible for running it, of being in violation of both state and federal commerce laws that prohibit deception and coercion in financial transactions.

That’s because, when victims tried to get the images taken down, according to the lawsuit, the company’s “Contact Us” page for a period of time displayed dismissive messages, including “tough luck.” If victims reached out regardless, they often faced hefty fees for removing the profiles, ranging from $499 to $2,800, and in some cases, the company charged annual recurring fees.

Between January 2014 and April 2016 alone, the company took in more than $4 million, either from removal fees or website ads, according to the lawsuit.

Alongside photos and videos of subjects, the revenge porn website typically posted identifying information, including the full names, addresses, phone numbers and

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employment information of the subjects, along with links to social media accounts, the complaint alleges.

Victims quoted in the complaint argue that the posts put their careers and mental health in jeopardy, especially since many of the public Myex.com profiles were accessible after a quick Google search.

“I stopped sleeping, eating, and began to hide inside my house researching laws and contacting anyone I could think of,” one victim wrote.

At least one of the company’s founders, Aniello “Neil” Infante, settled with prosecutors, agreeing to destroy any and all images and

victim information in his possession that had been obtained without consent, according to the FTC.

Infante agreed to a $205,000 judgment but must pay only $15,000, “in light of his inability to pay more,” the FTC said. The money will be used to compensate victims who paid removal fees.

Another company official, Shad “John” Applegate, was named as a defendant in the lawsuit, along with “one or more unknown parties.”

The lawsuit marks the second time the FTC has prosecuted a revenge porn case, and the lawsuit is the first of its kind for state prosecutors under Attorney General Adam Laxalt’s tenure.

Contact Rachel Crosby at rcrosby@ reviewjournal.com or 702-477-8301. Follow @rachelacrosby on Twitter.