San Diego revenge-porn site operator sentenced to 18 years

A San Diego man who operated a "revenge porn" website featuring naked photos of thousands of women and charged victims to remove their images has been sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Attorney General Kamala Harris said Friday that Kevin Bollaert's sentence shows there are severe consequences for exploiting people online.

"Sitting behind a computer, committing what is essentially a cowardly and criminal act, will not shield predators from the law or jail," Harris said. "We will continue to be vigilant and investigate and prosecute those who commit these deplorable acts."

Bollaert, 28, was convicted in February of identity theft and extortion in San Diego Superior Court. Prosecutors say he ran the website ugotposted.com, where people put nude photos of ex-lovers.

The Web developer posted the pictures and then charged women from $300 to $350 to have the pictures removed, according to the Los Angeles Times. Prosecutors say Bollaert earned about $30,000 from people who paid to remove the images.

Victims included teachers, wives and professionals. The compromising photos cost people jobs, damaged relationships and led to one attempted suicide.

Unlike other "revenge porn" sites, Bollaert prompted users to also share personal identifying information about the subject in the photo, including name, age and address, according to KFMB-TV. During the trial, 21 victims testified that they were embarrassed and humiliated when their private nude photos and personal identifying information turned up on a now-defunct website, the station reported.

"My life has gone through a down-spiral," one of Bollaert's victims told Judge David Gill, KFMB-TV reported. The woman said her mother refuses to talk to her because of the shame she brought on her family.

One woman said she received 400 messages on social media after the pictures were shown, the Times reported. She said she was forced to quit college and seek help in a mental hospital. "It's been so traumatic," she said. "It's a daily struggle to get my life together."

The paper also reported that Bollaert did not speak before sentencing, but his parents told Judge Gill that their son was remorseful.