A HORSHAM teenager has spoken out after being targeted by a pornographic photo-sharing website.
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Lily Dalton, 18, described the experience as confronting and violating.
The gender-fluid teenager uses the pronouns they, them and their.
Lily’s image appeared on an online chat forum known to police, which featured thousands of photos of people, including underage students.
Pictures on the website were shared without permission, often by people who knew the subjects.
Lily’s own photos were shared only after condemning the website and its practices.
“I found out about the site and my heart fell through the floor,” Lily said.
“It wasn’t until I spoke out that my pictures appeared – I was basically punished for being vocal about how terrible it was. I felt violated and sick to my stomach.
“I’m very much a person who wants to be in control of their body and someone decided to violate me – specifically because they wanted to hurt me.”
Lily said attitudes needed to change.
“Many people have it was someone’s fault for taking the photos, but have not questioned the actions of the person who uploaded them online,” Lily said.
“It’s much easier to blame promiscuity, rather than uphold a man for his actions, when it’s the attitude of the entire community or society.
“You wouldn’t blame people for having their wallet stolen. You wouldn’t say, ‘why did you own a wallet?’
“This is the same situation – you are blaming victims for something they had no control over.”
Australian Federal Police reported on Friday they had shut down the website.
Lily said the site was the latest in a string of forums or websites.
“I’m angry, I’m really angry for everybody involved – this isn’t something new,” Lily said.
“It hasn’t changed and it won’t change for a long time because of the attitude of some boys.
“The reason these nudes were shared was because they couldn’t control us.
“They didn’t have a part in what we were doing and that wasn’t okay to them.”
Since the incident, Lily has advocated for better sex education in schools and accountability for people who shared photographs without consent.
Lily said sex education still had ties to victim-blaming and inequality.
“Having nudes shared can ruin your life – especially in the country,” Lily said.
“People say they lose respect for you, but the only person who decides how much respect you have is yourself.
“Young boys still see women as objects, even if they don’t realise it.
“They see young women as entertainment – something they can control.”
Lily reported the incident to Horsham police the day the photos appeared.
Police were supportive but Lily said there was little they could do.
“They were definitely sympathetic,” Lily said. “There were no lectures like I know some people got elsewhere.
“There just wasn’t much that could be done.”
The incident has not shaken Lily’s confidence or beliefs.
“They haven’t beaten me, and never will,” Lily said.
“The people who shared these photos are worthless people who have violated so many people’s safety. No amount of harassment will stop me being who I am.”