BustedMugshots.com: How To Deal With Them

Chances are if you’re reading this post you have a picture on BustedMugshots.com and you want to know how to remove it.

Guess what? You’re not alone.

We hear from tons of people each and every month who have an issue with this company.

Because of this, we’ve done our fair share of research into bustedmugshots removal policy and what your options are.

Before we go into what you should do, let’s get something straight.

BustedMugshots.com isn’t your ally here. A simple removal request won’t cut it.

Their business model basically revolves around funneling you into their partner company for a profit.

Is it shady? Yup.

Are they the first mugshot site to do this? Nope.

There are dozens of mugshot databases like bustedmugshots.com that feature booking photos of people. Most of these sites refuse to remove these images even if the charges are overturned, or the crime is a small misdemeanor…unless you’re willing to pay a fee.

Currently, at least 8 states have pending bills to regulate the world of publishing mug shots online.

What we’re getting at here is if you have a mugshot out there about you, now is the time to educate yourself on the industry. This will save you time and money in the long run.

Plus you can have the satisfaction of not giving sites like BustedMugshots.com any of your hard-earned money.

Alright, let’s jump right into it.

Negative search results are a liability

Some of the most common stumbling blocks that people face today when managing their reputations are negative search results associated with their name.

Whether it’s something unflattering written by a disgruntled ex or former employee, a simple misunderstanding that got out of hand online, or an image on a site like bustedmugshots.com, negative search results can ruin how you look online and even impact your real life.

From compromising job prospects to personal relationships, negative search results are a liability in every sense of the word.

While mugshots that circulate online are often the source of a couple of laughs once they’ve gone viral – these types of images can also completely alter the course of the subject’s life.

Unfortunately for many, mugshots get published on sites like bustedmugshots even when the person is not convicted of anything, or their charge is overturned. That means that even if you happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time and get arrested, you’re still subject to being associated with that experience online – indefinitely.

Databases like bustedmugshots.com search and catalog all publicly accessible mugshots and make them easy to find by typing someone’s full name into their site.

If you’re in the position where your mugshot is available on a site like bustedmugshots.com – don’t worry, there are ways to reduce the potential damage.

The reality of your mugshot existing online

Remember, each online directory is different when it comes to mugshot removal. A quick bustedmugshots search is not as far as you need to go. There’s a good chance that even if you get it removed from one directory it can (and most likely will) show up elsewhere.

With that in mind, suppression (we’ll go over this in a moment) must be a key component to your overall strategy when it comes to dealing with negative search results – images or otherwise. You can’t rely solely on the busted mugshots removal policy to protect you here.

Instead of hoping that this unflattering photo just disappears, take control of your reputation online by sharing a more accurate representation of yourself on web properties that you control.

While it’s a good idea to focus most of your energy on negative suppression, you can also explore the options available to you based on the rules of that database.

Understanding busted mugshots removal policy

Bustedmugshots.com is a database that collects mugshots and information about the person in the photo. These photos are publicly accessible and taken upon arrest. Bustedmugshots.com claims that their mission is, “to help make crime awareness part of your everyday life in keeping yourself and family safe – just the same as locking your doors, setting your alarms, protecting your identity, hugging your kids, etc.”

The site also emphasizes their company’s value in sharing, “crime incident, sex offender registry and arrest information”.

While all of this seems reasonable for anyone who appreciates safety and protecting their loved ones, the fact is that many people end up on this and sites like this even if their charges are ultimately dropped, their records are expunged, or if they are charged for non-violent misdemeanors that have nothing to do with sexual misconduct.

Once you understand that many of the people who appear on bustedmugshots.com and sites like it probably just made a minor mistake, it’s easy to empathize with someone dealing with mugshot removal. At BrandYourself, we do not work with sex offenders or people arrested for violent crimes as you can see in our terms of service.

However, we acknowledge that databases like busted mugshots often lump together a number of different types of charges regardless of severity, outcome or relevance.

This means that someone booked for not paying parking tickets is branded the same way as someone charged with aggravated assault and battery.

While the descriptions on the “about us” page of the site suggest one thing, in truth this database retains information about all kinds of incidents.

With that in mind, we truly sympathize with those who made a small mistake recently – or decades ago that resulted in a terrible presence online that threatens everything from earning potential to personal relationships.

Our intention in this guide is to explain how this database works, and how to reduce the chances that people will see a false representation of who you are online.

Bustedmugshots.com wants you to pay them for removal

Unfortunately, there are a number of mugshot sites that “partner” with or are owned by so-called “reputation management companies”. These “companies” give a bad name to the whole industry, and typically just rip off the consumer. Some companies even own multiple mugshot databases, and once a consumer pays for removal on one site – it will pop up on a site similar to busted mugshots.

While this is extremely unfair, this is a practice that – while frowned upon – isn’t always corrected. Because of this, we suggest that you do your homework before paying money to have your mugshot removed by a “partner” or “sponsored” site.

So if you’re dealing with a scenario like this, what’s the best move? While it’s possible that paying the site might help, we would suggest that instead you focus your efforts on image suppression.

Is it possible to delete the mugshot forever?

While we completely understand the urge to rid the internet of this mugshot of you, unfortunately, that may not be possible. Your image has already been released into the wild wild web, and even if you get it de-indexed or taken down from the site, that doesn’t mean it won’t come back to haunt you.

If someone downloaded your mugshot, or posted it on another site, then the steps above won’t help you. The problem can be contained, but it’s worth noting that there’s always the possibility that it could surface elsewhere. Busted mugshots isn’t the only site you need to worry about.

This doesn’t mean you should live in constant fear of being exposed, but it does mean that you need to come up with a plan to reduce the chances that someone else will see it.

Before starting this campaign, take some time to think about what you need to accept this fact. Consider what you would say if someone asked you about your mugshot in a job interview or a social setting. Come up with a way of addressing it head on that feels good to you. You don’t want to be caught off-guard if someone came across your picture on bustedmugshots.com.

Once you’ve practiced a response that you’re comfortable with and accept that this may be a possibility, it’s time to get to work!

The best way to fully conquer bustedmugshots.com? Image suppression.

Image suppression is a great way to not only bury this negative result and significantly reduce the likelihood that anyone will actually see that mugshot, but it also gives you the opportunity to create a new story based on the kinds of images that you choose to publish online.

When it comes to image suppression, there isn’t a single way to go about it, and some strategies may work better than others. But typically the best approach to suppressing negative images like ones on busted mugshots goes as follows:

Make sure your online foundation is solid: If you don’t already have a strategy in place for managing your reputation online, then it’s time to make one. We have tons of information about this on our blog, and we take you through the process on our newly launched BrandYourself University.

Compile images: Don’t pick any old photos. Aim to include flattering photos that you’re in, or interesting pictures that you’ve taken. Make sure that these are images that you’re comfortable sharing publicly.

Correctly label files: When appropriate, make sure that you include your name in the filename, and specific details describing the image.

Upload to popular photo-sharing sites: One great thing about social media platforms today is that we are no longer dependent strictly on photo-sharing sites to share photos and other forms of rich media. With this in mind, there are a number of sites that you can use to share these photos that you’ve just uploaded with others, and potentially gain some traction in rankings. Just how sites like busted mugshots aggregate and share photos, you can do a similar strategy with positive images.

Fill in all relevant meta-data and tag appropriately: In addition to labeling the filename of your images, make sure that this information makes it to the meta data. Fill out all alt tags and meta descriptions. When appropriate, always include your name. Also, describe the image as best you can with these tags.

Actively share and disseminate this info on your profiles: While labeling your images correctly, and filling out information about them is a start, it won’t mean much if you don’t generate activity around them. So get conversations going. The more engagement these images receive, the better.
Repeat regularly with new photos: After publishing and sharing a whole bunch of photos, you’ll soon start to see these rank in images attached to your name. However, this won’t last forever if you don’t regularly repeat the process. Stay active on your social media

You can read more details on this process here.

Takedown request

In some cases, it may be possible for you to submit a takedown request to Google. While this won’t remove the picture itself from the internet, if successful, the image will be de-indexed from all Google search results. Someone performing a busted mugshots search might still be able to see the image, but that is the only way they could find it. Google won’t help them if it’s deindexed.

While the likelihood is pretty slim for getting this removed using a Google request, there are some ordinances by state regarding where and how a mugshot is displayed – particularly if the charge is overturned, or the subject isn’t prosecuted.

Sites like bustedmugshots.com are legally bound to follow these rules, so make sure that you fully understand the laws within your state to ensure that the site complies with the request.

Luckily, you shouldn’t have to hire a lawyer in order to demand these changes. But, if threatening the site isn’t enough… you may need to enlist the help of legal counsel. Hopefully things won’t come to that, but if they do and you can’t afford a lawyer, double down on your efforts to suppress that unflattering image.

Now you know your options

While dealing with bustedmugshots in your search results is frustrating, remember that it’s not the end of the world, and you do have options in significantly reducing the chances that someone will actually see it. Your best bet is to focus on suppressing the image and building a stronger personal brand for yourself in the meantime.

If you’re not sure where to begin, sign up for our free DIY tool to get a better sense of how to do this on your own. If you don’t have the time to commit to this, then contact one of our reputation advisors for information on our managed services.