Moore isn’t known as “the most hated man on the internet” for nothing. Through his website, IsAnyoneUp.com, he was able to earn as much $13,000 a month by posting nude photos of women. While a handful of these photos were given to Moore voluntarily by would-be models, many were submitted by angry exes, hoping to get revenge on their former girlfriends.
Aside from a fairly despicable business model, Moore can come across as an all-around contemptible person. He was once stabbed by a woman featured on his site and jokingly posted photos of his wound online. When Facebook threatened him with a cease-and-desist order for stealing their photos, Moore’s response was to send an explicit photo of himself.
— Hunter Moore (@Huntermoore) January 31, 2015
— Hunter Moore (@Huntermoore) February 7, 2015
And then there’s this tidbit from an interview with the Village Voice:
“I’m gonna sound like the most evil motherf---er – lets be real for a second: If somebody killed themselves over [being on the site]? Do you know how much money I’d make? At the end of the day, I do not want anybody to hurt themselves. But if they do? Thank you for the money.”
Moore was arrested last January after an FBI investigation found him and an accomplice – Chris “Gary Jones” Evens – had been hacking into personal email accounts and stealing nude photos. As part of his guilty plea, Moore admitted to paying Evens for this service.
— Chicago Joe (@_chicago_joe) February 19, 2015
Evens, 26, denies these charges, though he was allegedly paid $2,000 for stolen selfies of 7 individuals. One of the victims is an actress, Kayla Laws, who came forward. She claimed that she had taken photos of herself with her phone, but had never shared them with anyone, leaving little doubt as to how they ended up on Moore’s porn site.
Moore’s indictment only lists victims by initials, but the site also posted photos of an “American Idol” contestant and the daughter of a major Republican donor, according to Rolling Stone.
— dayana peña (@daaayx0) February 19, 2015
While few are troubled by the prospect of Moore spending a few years behind bars for violating the privacy – and broadcasting personal moments – of hundreds of women, many think his trial doesn’t go far enough.
Many would also like to see legal consequences for those who submit the photos to such sites. Currently, California and New Jersey are the only states that have laws against revenge porn. While victims in the remaining 48 states can sue exes who use their photos inappropriately, high court costs mean that most perpetrators escape punishment.
While other states have considered legislation against revenge porn, many fear that such laws could threaten freedom of speech. While it may seem surprising, the American Civil Liberties Union has, in the past, sided with these First Amendment concerns, instead of viewing the sites as a womens’ rights issue.
Moore is due in court on February 25, though sentencing could be postponed until March.
