Someone has taken an intimate image of me
Last updated: 02 June 2022
This guide covers situations where an intimate image of you has been taken without your consent (e.g. upskirting).
If this is not your situation, these guides might be more useful
- If your intimate images are being shared online, see our guide Someone is sharing my intimate images
- If someone is threatening to share your intimate images, see our guide Someone is threatening to distribute my intimate images
- If your images are being shared in a sexualised way, but you are not naked, in your underwear, or performing a private/sexual act, see our guide Someone is sharing my images in a sexualised way
What is an intimate image?
We use ‘intimate image’ to refer to any image or video that shows:
- Nudity or someone’s genitals
- Someone in just their underwear
- Someone in a sexual situation or performing a sexual act
- Someone doing a private act like bathing or using the toilet
- Voyeuristic ‘upskirt’ content
- Or an image or video edited to show any of the above (e.g. adding your face to a nude photo)
If you are below 16 years old
Please reach out to a trusted adult now.
This can be your parents, your legal guardian, a school teacher, or a school counsellor. Let them know that this has happened to you. We know it is scary, but you may be in danger.
Remember that this is not your fault and you have not done anything wrong. Your friends might not know much more than you about what to do. A trustworthy adult may be in a better position to help you decide your next steps.
Most of this guide is still applicable for you, but don’t deal with this alone. Please find someone to support you.
What to do first
Record what happened
Collect as much evidence as you can (e.g. take photos, screenshots, recordings) and start keeping notes of what happened. Do this before you do anything else. This is important because you will be asked for evidence when you report to platforms, the police, or courts.
Email these notes and the evidence to yourself or someone you trust. This will add a timestamp, which can help you to keep track of what happened and make this record more useful to the police or courts.
Remember to also keep yourself safe. Please do not put yourself in danger for the sake of collecting more evidence. Your safety is your number one priority.
Reach out to people you trust if you need help and support.
What to do next
Below, we’ve listed further actions you can take. These are all optional – it is up to you to decide what you would like to do.
Seek support
Please let people you trust know what happened. Ask them to support you and help with any actions you decide to take.
You can also reach out to the following services for support:
- All genders & ages – call 1800-777-0000 for the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline – dedicated 24-hour helpline for reporting violence and abuse
- Those 16 and older – call AWARE’s Sexual Assault Care Centre Helpline (6779-0282, Mon - Fri, 10am - 6pm). The case managers at SACC have experience helping clients respond to such situations.
You can also refer to our directory Finding Support in Singapore to find a hotline, legal clinic, mental healthcare provider, or other social service that best fits your needs.
Make a police report
You can consider making a police report, especially if you have evidence of the act. In Singapore, it is a crime to take, distribute, or possess “voyeuristic or intimate images or recordings.”
Guide to Making a police report
What counts as 'voyeuristic or intimate images or recordings' under the law?
It is an offence for someone to have possession of materials that were created voyeuristically, that is, by observing someone doing a private act without that person’s consent.
It is also an offence to have possession of an ‘intimate image’ without the subject’s consent. Intimate images are defined as:
- Pictures or videos of your genitals, breasts (if ‘female’), or buttocks, whether bare or covered by underwear;
- Pictures or videos of you performing a ‘private act’ that you would not expect to be recorded, such as bathing, using the toilet, or performing a sexual act;
- Pictures or videos that have been altered to show you doing any of the above (e.g. someone photoshopped your face onto the body of a person doing a sexual act).
Set up a Google alert
You can set up a Google alert to monitor information posted about you. This will prompt Google to send you an email when new results about you show up in a Google search.
Take care of yourself
Experiences like these can be traumatic. Reach out to people you trust to let them know what you are going through. They can support you emotionally and help with any actions you decide to take.
We have also compiled resources that can help you make sense of the emotions you may be feeling. You can find these under “Need” in our Find support in Singapore directory.
Other questions
Does this only happen to women?
No. Men, women, and non-binary individuals experience this in Singapore. This kind of violation is wrong regardless of your gender.
What if the person who took this image is my partner or someone I was dating?
It is wrong for anyone to violate your consent, regardless of your relationship with them. Consenting to one thing, e.g. having sex or taking intimate images, does not mean you consented to anything else, e.g. being photographed or recorded. Anyone who wanted to respect your boundaries would have asked for permission clearly and would respect your answer.
You may also wish to know that under the law, there are greater penalties for offences against victims in an intimate partner relationship (whether dating or married).
