By ALLISON GATLIN Valley Press Staff WriterFeb 10, 2020
SACRAMENTO — Assemblyman Tom Lackey has introduced legislation that would make distribution of revenge porn a felony and increase the penalties for those convicted of it by requiring them to register as a sex offender.
“Distributing revenge porn is a sex crime. We need to start treating it like one,” said Lackey, the Palmdale Republican who serves as vice chair of the Assembly Public Safety Committee. “The long-term consequences of this crime are devastating for victims. It’s time for California to send a message that victimizing someone by publishing intimate photos or videos without their consent cannot, and will not, be tolerated.”
A high-profile instance recently brought the issue to the forefront, when Rep. Katie Hill, D-Agua Dulce, resigned her Congressional seat in November after explicit photos of her were published on a conservative website amid allegations of a relationship with a staff member which triggered an ethics investigation.
Hill called the allegations and photos part of a revenge porn campaign against her by an abusive husband she was divorcing, aided by right-wing media and Republican opponents.
“It shows how widespread it is. It validates how real this problem really has become,” Lackey said.
“It’s a growing problem; it’s becoming more and more turned to,” he said. “I think we need something to try to thwart that trend.”
Read the full article here: https://www.avpress.com/news/revenge-porn-issue-subject-of-legislation/article_e5e404f8-4bce-11ea-ac56-c7bdbae883d8.html
