I believe you can hotlink to your images by using the prefix
![](https://steemitimages.com/0x0/YOURURL)
And the image should remain on your server and not be stolen.
Sorry nobody told you about this before stealing your work and punishing you for being a victim of theft.
May be good to get in touch with some witnesses to discuss your concerns. @timcliff has been a great help understanding the bugs in the code. He is a witness you can vote for.