A man pressures his girlfriend into sending him an intimate video of herself with the promise that he will keep it private, and then immediately posts it on a pornographic website. Or a teenager snaps a semi-nude selfie and messages it to a supposed friend or admirer, who immediately shares it with all of their circle just to embarrass the hapless young man or woman.

These are cruel, despicable acts that can have terrible consequences, including the suicide of the person who suddenly discovers their most intimate images are being passed around the Internet. Thankfully, a new civil court ruling will give victims of these acts recourse through civil suits. That, along with the year-old amendment to the Criminal Code making it an offence to share an intimate image without the consent of the person depicted in the image, has finally given Canadians some powerful protection in the online age.

The case involved in last week's Ontario Superior Court ruling didn't lead to a suicide but it did cause terrible distress for the woman who submitted to her boyfriend's request for a sexually intimate video. When he posted it on a porn website in 2011, the woman was "devastated, humiliated and distraught," the judge wrote. The judge said the victim could sue her tormentor for breach of trust. He awarded her $100,000, plus court costs.

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The incident occurred three years before Ottawa amended the Criminal Code. Today, anyone tried and convicted under the new statute can be sentenced to up to five years in jail.

Both the Criminal Code and last week's court decision deliberately leave room for someone to share a compromising image or personal episode of a sexual nature if the public good is served, such as when a government official misbehaves. The federal law and the Ontario case shouldn't be used to interfere with the work of journalists or whistleblowers, although it may take some time and a few test cases before that issue is settled.

But the takeaway right now is that anyone who shares intimate images online must be certain they have the consent of the people in them. Parents would be wise to discuss this with their children, and jilted lovers should pay attention. The consequences are getting steeper, and ignorance is not a defence.