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Posted: 2020-12-23T01:48:35Z | Updated: 2020-12-23T01:48:35Z

Former Rep. Katie Hill (D-Calif.) is suing her ex-husband and the media outlets Daily Mail and RedState, accusing them of nonconsensual dissemination and publication of her intimate images.

In the lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Hill alleges that her ex-husband, Kenneth Heslep, provided sexually graphic photos of her to the news outlets, which published them online in multiple articles last year.

Hills life was irreparably altered by the abuse and nonconsensual dissemination and publication of her intimate images, the suit argues, calling the published photos nonconsensual porn.

Once a rising star in the Democratic Party , the congresswoman from California resigned last year less than halfway through her first term after the House opened an ethics investigation following a story on RedState. The conservative news site accused Hill of having extramarital affairs with a female campaign staffer and a male congressional aide. The article included a nude photo of Hill. The Daily Mail later published more sexually graphic photos of Hill and intimate text messages.

At the time, Hill apologized for her inappropriate relationship with the campaign worker but denied romantic involvement with the congressional aide. (It is against House rules for lawmakers to have sexual relationships with congressional staff, but there are no rules on relationships with campaign staffers.)

Tuesdays lawsuit alleges years of abuse by Hills ex-husband before they broke up in 2019, after which he allegedly shared the photos, text messages and cruel lies with the media outlets. The suit claims the publication of the explicit photos led Hill to suffer extreme emotional distress, to attempt suicide and to quit her job as a congresswoman.

In most states, including California, revenge porn, or sharing sexually explicit photos of a person without their consent, is illegal. It is also sometimes used as a tactic in abusive relationships to control, blackmail or harm an intimate partner.

HuffPost reached out but did not immediately receive a response from Hesleps attorneys, Daily Mail or RedState.