Dozens of female students at the University of North Texas discovered images of themselves posted on a website dedicated to sharing non-consensual and sexually suggestive photos of women.
The website is a forum of photos and videos taken of women unknowingly, often at gyms or beaches. All photos are tagged with sexually explicit buzzwords, and comments are left by users detailing the sexual gratification they got from the images.
Social media posts started circulating between the University of North Texas (UNT) students, warning each other that dozens of photos had been taken at the campus rec center and posted on the website with sexual captions.
“Please be aware there is a predator on your campus,” posted a user on UNT’s Reddit page. “Administration was notified over a week ago with no response after multiple attempts. If you use the UNT Athletic area, be cautious and on the lookout for people with phones by [their] waist side.”
One student who frequently works out at UNT’s gym, the Pohl Rec Center, shared that she found dozens of photos of herself posted alongside photos of 57 other women, all taken at the rec center.
“I was absolutely horrified. My heart dropped. The first thing was just like, how did I not know?” Kate, whose last name was redacted for privacy, told the Dallas Observer. “Every woman always knows ‘I need to pay attention to where I am at all times.’ And I thought at least at a campus gym, I thought I would be safe. But I guess that’s not really the case.”
Kate reported the photos to school officials, who allegedly told her that they may be allowed because they were taken in a public place.
Up until 2015, the Texas Penal Code stated that any image taken without the other person’s consent with the intent to “arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person” is a jail felony.
However, the law has since been changed to declare that photos taken unbeknownst to the other person are outlawed only in bathrooms and changing rooms. Additionally, the law further states that photos must capture an “intimate area” of another person to be illegal, versus taking any photo with the intent to arouse someone.
“Now when I go to the rec, I wear a bunch of baggy clothes, like sweatpants and oversized shirts, which sucks, because I go to the gym to feel comfortable with my body and be confident,” said UNT student Claire M. to the Observer, whose last name was also redacted for privacy.
Claire found over 20 images of herself working out at UNT’s recreation center posted on the website, and her roommate was posted nearly 60 times. A folder titled “the best friend short and tall duo” was reportedly created on the website containing images of the two of them.
Photos of both Kate and Claire can be dated to months before they first discovered them. The person taking the photo often waited until the women bent over to tie their shoes, set a weight down, or do an exercise.
The photos of women at UNT have since been removed from the website as the poster recently deactivated their account.
“The UNT Police Department is investigating. To date, we have identified some individuals in the photos and have taken several reports,” the statement reads. “Photography and video in the UNT recreation center locker rooms, restrooms and aquatic facilities are strictly prohibited,” said a UNT spokesperson in a statement to the Observer.