my ex-bf promised me to give me back the films,negatives,pictures in
the begining.Now he refused to give me back and threated that he will
send those pictures to my relatives,parents in front of my friends.How
can I take back those pictures,films,negatives leagally?

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Request for Question Clarification by skermit-ga on 06 Nov 2002 11:37 PST

Which state are you in? In the past, it's been hard if not impossible
to retreive these pictures, or legally prohibit the dissemination of
such materials. Case in point:

http://news.com.com/2100-1023-217407.html?tag=rn

famous Dr. Laura Schlessinger's old photos taken by an ex-boyfriend
or, the big snafu with former Ms. North Carolina:

http://www.sacticket.com/24hour/entertainment/stage/story/523127p-4149644c.html

There's also the infamous Pamela Anderson video along with Tanya
Harding pictures, etc. It may be possible in your state though, so
please tell us which state you are in.

skermit-ga

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Clarification of Question by lightblue-ga on 06 Nov 2002 19:28 PST

I am in NY state

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Request for Question Clarification by mvguy-ga on 07 Nov 2002 06:40 PST

Did he have your consent to take the pictures?  Or did he commit a
criminal act (such as hiding a camera in the ceiling) to take the
pictures?

If he had your consent, whose camera and film was he using?  Who paid
for having the film developed?

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Request for Question Clarification by johnny_phoenix-ga on 07 Nov 2002 08:58 PST

I won't post this as an answer since it is just an idea. 

Because at the time, you consented to the photographs being taken and
we will assume that you were not a minor at the time, it would be a
difficult case to get the photographs back off him for many reasons.
Obviously number one is that as soon as he found out that you were
planning an action against him he could make copies of them so you
wouldn't know whether he was declaring them all.

Plus, there is a likelihood that the photographs themselves would be
entered in evidence and therefore scrutinized by strangers which to me
would be worse than friends and family.

One idea that occurred is that you say he is "threatening" to show
them. Has he given an alternative, i.e. asked that if you do something
or give him something in exchange then he will destroy them?

If this is the case then the matter becomes a case of blackmail and
extortion and if you can get him on tape making his requests then you
will at least have a bargaining chip.

I wouldn't view it as blackmail if you had evidence that he was trying
to extort you which you. You could then advise him that you would go
to the police immediately unless all the photographs and negatives
were given over straight away. Advise him that you would be keeping a
copy of the tape and if he ever threatened or fulfilled his threat to
try and embarrass you again you would use the evidence against him.

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Clarification of Question by lightblue-ga on 07 Nov 2002 11:18 PST

He had my consent when things were good.He developed the films by himself.

If the questioner's ex-boyfriend is threatening to release the
pictures unless the questioner does something, couldn't that count as
extortion? One definition of extortion in the Ohio Revised Code is:

"(5) Expose or threaten to expose any matter tending to subject any
person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule, or to damage any person's
personal or business repute, or to impair any person's credit."

(http://onlinedocs.andersonpublishing.com/revisedcode/)

I'm wondering how old lightblue is. But then again, I'm a nosy old thing.

Mmmmm...If she was under the age of consent at the time the
pictures/movies were taken...

That is a whole different ballgame.

Yes, Arlenegreen-ga, that's part of what I was getting at. A younger
person would also have more cause to worry about this type of
blackmail -- repercussions from parents, etc. As well, a younger
person is not apt to call the b/f's bluff with a 'publish and be
damned' attitude.

Looking at my previous comment, I see that I expressed myself poorly,
and offer an apology for that. (Synapse misfire in the cranial
region.)

Assuming that you are the same "lightblue-ga" who asked an earlier
question about domestic violence (and about how to drop the case so
that the abuser's life wouldn't be "ruined"), then it seems to me that
you have established a history with the legal authorities. I hope that
they will listen to you on this, and view the threats to publish as a
continuation of violence (which it is). Speaking from experience, I
would advise you to not do any negotiating yourself with your
ex-boyfriend, as each encounter will become another opportunity for
him to exercise some form of violence (mental, emotional, manipulative
control etc--not just physical violence). If you're unable or
unwilling to involve the authorities in this, try to get a third
person to do the negotiating for you. The third party should be
trustworthy, stable, mature, impervious to manipulation (abusers
invariably seize any opportunity to "win" the victim's supporters to
their side), and someone with no vested interest in the outcome--so
not, for example, a new boyfriend. Good luck.