We told you of the NFL’s first reported “revenge porn” case that was filed against former Jets LB, Jermaine Cunningham, just a couple of weeks ago.
Now, we’ve come to find out that Cunningham doesn’t deny his involvement in these acts. In fact, he just pleaded guilty.
A former New York Jets linebacker pleaded guilty Wednesday to three charges in connection with a domestic dispute that invoked New Jersey’s landmark “revenge porn” law.
Jermaine Cunningham, an NFL free agent, is expected to be sentenced to probation in June.
The 26-year-old Cunningham pleaded guilty in state Superior Court to invasion of privacy, illegal transport of a weapon and possession of hollow-point bullets.
The charges stemmed from a domestic dispute at a residence in Summit on Dec. 29. A loaded handgun and the bullets were found in Cunningham’s car. Prosecutors say he posted a sexually explicit image of his estranged girlfriend on Instagram without her consent.
The decade-old New Jersey law being used to prosecute Cunningham was the first of its kind in the country. It forbids disclosing photos or videos without consent of someone “whose intimate parts are exposed” or who is engaged in a sexual act. Under the law, an invasion of privacy conviction is punishable by up to five years in prison.
In the past two years alone, 14 states have taken up similar laws preventing against such exposures of privacy.
Hopefully this high profile case will only further the discussion on the topic in this country and lead to, ultimately, a public outlawing of the act. For now, there are way too many thirsty dudes on IG just happy to get a look at some woman’s naked body – without any regard to how that picture may have got there.
Jermaine Cunningham helped perpetuate that system, and he’s lucky that he may only face probation for this. Take this as a lesson, most people won’t be so lucky in the future.