Viral mugshot page sparks backlash over women’s online shaming

In August 2025, 23-year-old Megan Davis was arrested for public intoxication at a bar in College Station, Texas, and her mugshot quickly went viral, first appearing on a SayCheese Facebook page and later on the Instagram account Mugshawtys, which specializes in posting mugshots of young women as “thirst traps.” The image drew harassing remarks, false claims about her employment, and a year-long wave of online shaming that Davis says has damaged her life.

Mugshawtys, founded by California electrician Josh Jeffery, amassed nearly 2 million Instagram followers and also operated on Facebook and X before Meta and TikTok disabled the accounts for breaching community standards. Jeffery argues he does not exploit the women and even encourages donations for bail, yet the page is littered with sexualized jokes and misogynistic commentary. Scholars and legal scholars note that digitized mugshots have become a tool for public humiliation, with removal procedures varying widely by state and often difficult for those featured. Recent uploads of Davis’s body-camera footage to YouTube further amplified the shaming, and platforms have offered limited avenues for privacy complaints.