An 18-year-old man from Portage la Prairie, Man., has been charged after police say he sent an "intimate image" of his ex-girlfriend to someone without her consent.

Brandon police said the woman made a complaint in early January after she learned her ex-boyfriend shared the picture with someone using a messaging app. She provided a screenshot of the photo and message to authorities, police said.

The man was arrested on Friday and released on a promise to appear in court in March.

Manitoba's Intimate Image Protection Act states that an intimate image or video is one that involves nudity or sexual activity and was made with a reasonable expectation of privacy. The Act allows victims to sue the person who shares these images or recordings without consent.

Apart from reporting such an incident to local police, anyone who believes they are a victim of the sharing of non-consenual intimate images can file a report with Cybertip.ca.