(CNN) After a sexually explicit photo of Texas Republican Rep. Joe Barton surfaced this week on an anonymous Twitter account, the congressman -- one of the most senior members of the House of Representatives -- is raising the possibility that he's the victim of "revenge porn," a criminal act in Texas. The anonymous tweet, circulated this week on social media, included a nude image of the congressman -- which he does not deny is legitimate. Sarah Dodd of Dodd Communications, who is helping Barton respond to the image, confirmed that the image is of him and on Wednesday the Congressman apologized for not using "better judgment" while separated from his wife and in consensual relationships with women. "While separated from my second wife, prior to the divorce, I had sexual relationships with other mature adult women," Barton said in a statement first reported by The Texas Tribune . But Dodd told CNN that Barton did not release the image himself and does not know who did.

Source: CNN November 23, 2017 14:26 UTC