A CUNY public health professor has won a landmark $30 million revenge porn lawsuit against her ex-boyfriend in New York City.
Dr. Spring Chenoa Cooper, 43, was awarded the significant amount by a jury in Manhattan on Friday and it is the largest verdict awarded in a revenge porn case in the city.
She filed the lawsuit against comedian Ryan Broems, 37, six years ago after he posted naked photos and videos of her online following their split.
“It’s been the worst six years since all this started,” he said. The New York Post. “It means a lot that the jury was able to validate my experiences and see how much pain and trauma it has caused me and continues to cause me.”
In a corresponding criminal case, Broems pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disclosure of an intimate image on December 15, 2021, and received a 26-week non-jail sentence and was required to attend a program for abusive partners.
CUNY public health professor Dr. Spring Chenoa Cooper, 43, won a landmark $30 million revenge porn lawsuit against her ex-boyfriend in New York City.
She filed the lawsuit against comedian Ryan Broems, 37, six years ago after he posted naked photos and videos of her online following their split.
Cooper, 43, was awarded the significant amount by a jury in Manhattan on Friday and it is the largest verdict awarded in a revenge porn case.
Cooper, an associate professor at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, filed a lawsuit against her ex-boyfriend in 2018.
She accused him of sharing naked photos and videos of her on Tumblr, as well as on her college, Facebook, and OK Cupid profiles.
Broems was ordered to stay away from Cooper for five years after the criminal sentencing.
His attorney Daniel Szalkiewicz said Broems was not represented at trial and did not appear.
The jury only had to determine how much the comedian must pay Cooper in damages after a judge found him liable for Cooper’s revenge porn allegations.
But he doesn’t think he will receive any of the money, although it serves as a strong deterrent to others.
“It’s symbolic for me more than anything. The symbolism is that this is not okay and that’s what I think is most important here,” Cooper said.
“I am grateful that the jury sent a message to my ex and to every person who has considered posting an intimate image or video of someone without their consent, that this is not something our society tolerates.
“In fact, it is a sexual assault, we consider it reprehensible and the judicial system is on our side.”
She and Broems ended their relationship in November 2017 after a “tumultuous” year.
Cooper allegedly discovered that he had slept with five women in the last week of their relationship, his lawsuit stated.
She claimed Broems harassed his ex-girlfriend after their breakup by sending her daily Snapchats of himself masturbating every morning.
He then allegedly posted naked images of her online after she blocked him.
Cooper then filed a police report and obtained a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend in Family Court, but he allegedly continued.
Broems shared a post on X on Valentine’s Day that year, shown to the jury, that read: ‘My ex is so romantic.
“The police just hand-delivered my Valentine’s card and it said, ‘Roses are red, violets are blue. Please always keep 500 feet between you and me.’
Cooper believed his career would end with the embarrassing photos and videos, adding that he had had difficulty trusting new people.
“I’ve also had a lot of breakups over the years,” she said.
Revenge porn laws went into effect in New York City in February 2018 and her lawsuit was the first to be filed under the statute.
“We are grateful that the New Yorkers who served on this jury recognized that image-based sexual abuse has serious, lifelong consequences for those who are victims,” said their attorney Szalkeiwicz.
“We also hope that this sentence serves as a warning that this type of behavior is not tolerated here.”
Victims of revenge porn can sue for damages, legal fees, and injunctive relief to block posts.
But those found guilty of the crime can also be jailed for a year and fined $1,000.
Cooper said she joined the cyber sexual abuse task force in New York and researches the topic as part of her academic work.
DailyMail.com has contacted Broems for comment.
