565.252. Invasion of privacy, penalty.
Secretly taking photos or videos of someone in private is illegal
In Missouri, it’s a crime to record someone without their consent while they’re nude or partially nude in a private place, or to secretly film under their clothes.
1. A person commits the offense of invasion of privacy if he or she knowingly:
- (1) Takes a photo, video, or other image of someone who is fully or partially nude, without their consent, in a place where they reasonably expect privacy; or
- (2) Takes an image under or through another person’s clothing, without their consent, to view their body or undergarments.
2. Invasion of privacy is a class A misdemeanor unless one of the following applies, in which case it becomes a class E felony:
- (1) The image is shared or posted online;
- (2) The image or video is given or shown to another person in any way;
- (3) More than one person is secretly recorded in the same course of conduct;
- (4) The offender has a prior conviction for invasion of privacy.
3. Any prior convictions must be properly charged and proven as required by section 558.021.
4. “Same course of conduct” means that multiple people were recorded under similar circumstances as part of one plan, even if at different times or places.
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