Revenge Porn Bill Passes Statewide

A day after the eye roll seen across the country by Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-Virgin Islands), a revenge porn victim, at the House Oversight and Reform Committee’s hearing towards Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), New York State finally caught up to New York City and passed Revenge Porn legislation on Thursday that would criminalize the act.

Councilman Rory Lancman (D-Hillcrest), who passed a similar bill for New York City in 2017, thanked the state legislators behind the statewide law.

“I commend Senator [Monica Martinez D-Long Island), Assemblyman [Edward Braunstein D-Bayside], and the State Legislature for taking action today to make ‘revenge porn’ a crime in New York State and sending a strong message that this vile behavior will not be tolerated,” said Lancman.

 

After the passage of the citywide bill in the five boroughs, revenge porn was punishable for up to a year in jail and fined perpetrators $1,000.

“The City law has helped more than 140 survivors seek justice and hold perpetrators accountable. The State bill will make a big impact for survivors across New York State,” said Lancman.

The unlawful dissemination of intimate images used to cause financial, emotional or physical harm of another person will be a Class-A misdemeanor in New York State, according to nyassembly.gov.

This makes New York the 42nd state to enact such a law, according to cybercivilrights.org.

An individual who violates the law could face up to one year in jail, three years probation and a $1,000 fine, according to the bill.

Plaskett, who went viral Wednesday after being annoyed by Jordan trying to diminish Cohen’s testimony against President Donald Trump at a hearing, was once a revenge porn victim herself.

Weeks before the Congresswoman was set to embark on her primary to represent the Virgin Islands in 2016 a former staffer who offered to fix her iPhone distributed intimate pictures of her on Facebook.

In March 2018, the staffer was fined and sentenced to a year and a day in prison, while Plaskett, overwhelming won her 2016 re-election and the support of women even on the mainland outside of the Virgin Islands territory.