Student Survivor of Revenge Porn Should be Commended for Coming Forward

May 8, 2023

By Sam Dordulian, Esq.

I recently read an article in the Sacramento Bee about a California high school student who displayed an immense amount of bravery and courage after being the victim of what is commonly known as revenge porn or image-based sexual abuse – the distribution of private, sexually explicit materials without consent.

Survivors of sexual violence, particularly minors, are typically not named by the media. But in this instance, Ava Messina, a student at Rocklin High School, consented to the Sacramento Bee identifying her in the story.

The Bee noted that a junior varsity football player at Messina’s school had recorded a consensual sex act with her and then shared the video through social media platforms and direct messages. Sharing an intimate video or picture without consent is unfortunately an all-too-common occurrence, with some research indicating that approximately 10% of ex-partners have threatened to expose such imagery (and 60% of those who made threats actually followed through).

What is uncommon, and in this case I would argue remarkable, is the way in which the victim handled the situation.

As the Sacramento Bee confirmed, Messina was joined by classmates and some of their parents at a recent school board meeting to alert members that the football team was engaging in bullying and harassment following the leak of the intimate video. They also expressed concern that the school and district hasn’t done enough to stop the behavior. But it was Ava Messina who came forward to tell her own story.

During an open-comment period two hours into the regularly scheduled school board meeting, Messina, a varsity softball player, stood before the packed house in her uniform after playing an afternoon game and displayed an extraordinary amount of courage.

“I took part in a sexual act with a fellow sophomore at Rocklin,” Messina emotionally told the school board members. The board meeting was streamed online and is currently posted on the district’s website.

Messina recounted how the incident had affected her, noting that since the fellow classmate distributed the intimate video without her consent in November, she has been victim-shamed, suffered emotional trauma, and is now failing three classes after previously earning a 4.0-GPA.

Like so many other victims of image-based sexual abuse, Messina didn’t consent to having the video distributed. But she was also unaware of being recorded in the first place.

“During this act, I was filmed without my knowledge. He further victimized me by distributing (it) to teenagers throughout the county,” she said. “I am not the only girl he has filmed but I am the only one willing to speak up. I firsthand saw this boy’s collection of video and photos of 50 different (teenage) girls. I came here to speak about my experiences. In months, I went from being a well-respected, high-achieving student athlete to a student that is categorized as a school slut. I live in anger due to the lack of justice. I will not be silenced.”

The Sacramento Bee reported that Messina will “likely transfer to another school for a fresh start but will try to finish this academic year.” Again, she’s displayed a great amount of bravery in simply choosing to remain at the school since the November video leak, especially given the type of harassment she’s endured along with her family.

“Ava Messina and her parents said they have faced a barrage of in-person and social media attacks, including having her house vandalized twice. The first incident included toilet papering of the home. Rocklin football players admitted guilt in that incident and cleaned up the mess, according to Messina’s parents,” the Sacramento Bee said.

I truly hope Ava Messina realizes that by choosing to come forward and not be silenced, in spite of the constant attacks, she will ultimately inspire a future survivor of image-based sexual abuse to also come forward. And as more survivors report these incidents, more predators will think twice about releasing intimate images without consent.

I was fortunate to appear on The Dr. Phil Show last year along with survivors of revenge porn and advocates working to curb this type of sexual violence. It’s inspiring to see survivors like Messina take a stand, often against significant odds and at great cost to their reputations.

Unfortunately, as I mentioned on the show, because revenge porn is a relatively new phenomenon, law enforcement and people in positions of authority are often unsure of how to deal with cases when they arise. This certainly seems to be the situation relative to Messina’s case, and her family rightfully voiced their outrage to the Sacramento Bee.

Jake Messina, Ava’s father and the head varsity football coach at nearby Oakmont High School, told the newspaper that he is “outraged” and “infuriated.”

He confirmed that his daughter has yet to receive an apology from the football player, and noted that speaking out at the school board meeting has actually resulted in more fallout.

“I lost a lot of football friends today,” Jake Messina said to the Sacramento Bee after confirming that he had spoken the Rocklin head football coach several times about the incident.

“I know some of the coaches at Rocklin. I coached there for a season. There’s never even been an apology (from the football player). I’ve done everything I can to keep cool through all of this because that’s how furious I am. When does it end and where does it end?”

Although California has enacted laws to give survivors of revenge porn criminal and civil avenues for justice, the unique circumstances of each case can often lead to roadblocks and grey areas. And many states have no laws established to ensure criminal or civil justice for survivors of image-based sexual abuse (IBSA). That’s why passing The Protect Act, a bill created by Uldouz Wallace, a survivor of IBSA who appeared with me on The Dr. Phil Show, is so important.

There are currently no federal laws in place to verify either age or consent when intimate images are distributed online. But The Protect Act would establish federal protections to address both of those issues.

IBSA occurs far more often than many of us realize. But the courage exhibited by survivors such as Ava Messina and Uldouz Wallace represents significant progress in ultimately eradicating this type of sexual violence once and for all.

To read more about Uldouz Wallace’s Protect Act, please visit our recent blog.

Our Sexual Assault Justice Experts are here to help survivors secure justice. Contact our top-rated attorneys online or by phone for a free consultation today.

To help ensure that The Protect Act is passed, please go to Change.org and sign the petition.

Sam Dordulian previously served as a sex crimes prosecutor in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Today, he represents survivors of sexual violence in civil court, including those impacted by revenge porn or IBSA. Dordulian is a member of the National Leadership Council for RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence nonprofit organization.