Playboy model charged for social media post of naked stranger

Los Angeles prosecutors have charged a Playboy model with invasion of privacy for taking a photo of a naked woman in a gym locker room and posting it to social media.

The Snapchat post included an insulting comment about the woman's body.

The city attorney's office said Friday that Dani Mathers faces a misdemeanour count of invasion of privacy. She is scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 28. It wasn't immediately known if Mathers has an attorney.

The 29-year-old Mathers faced widespread criticism after she shared the photo in July with the caption: "If I can't unsee this then you can't either."

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She later apologized, deleted her social mediaaccounts and then reinstated them.

Postingreported by gym LA Fitness

The gym, LA Fitness, reported the posting to police and revoked Mathers' membership.

If convicted, Mathers could face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 US fine, according to City News Service.

Her behaviour is appalling.- Jill Greuling, L.A. Fitness

Detectives began investigating after the LAPD received a report of "illegal distribution" of the image, police Capt. Andrew Neiman said after the photo became public.

"Her behaviour is appalling and puts every member at risk of losing their privacy," Jill Greuling, an LA Fitness executive vice president, said at the time.

The person in the photo was identified only as a 70-year-old woman and it was not clear if she knew she was being photographed.

Mathers said in July that she accidentally posted the photo publicly.

"That was absolutely wrong and not what I meant to do," she said in an online video.

"I know that body-shaming is wrong. That is not the type of person I am."

Mathers was Playboy's Miss May in 2014.