Criminal Penalties For Revenge Porn May Become Law
Efforts to hold revenge porn perpetrators criminally accountable advanced Monday after the Indiana House of Representatives voted 95-0 in favor of legislation that would criminalize the posting of non-consensual pornography.
Senate Bill 243 defines an intimate image as a photograph, digital image or video that depicts sexual intercourse, other sexual conduct or the exhibition of the uncovered buttocks, genitals or female breast.
Rep. Mike Speedy, R-Indianapolis, said SB 243 makes it a crime for someone to distribute such an image with intent to harm, harass, intimidate, threaten or coerce the other person. It would also make it a crime to post the image without the consent of a person depicted in that image, even if that person initially agreed to partake in the image.
Revenge porn perpetrators could be charged with a Class A misdemeanor. A second or subsequent offense would bump that up to a Level 6 felony charge.
The measure initially received skepticism from Sen. Michael Young, R- Indianapolis, who has traditionally held that such matters are civil, not criminal. But the bill has seen little opposition this session.