Most of us have had at least one relationship that didn’t end well, but sometimes a breakup doesn’t mean it’s over. Harrisburg resident Naje Macon said that “pictures are forever. The only way to get rid of it is if you delete it, but once it’s on the internet it’s on the internet.”
That’s where democratic State Senator Judy Schwank comes in. She’s sponsored legislation known as the revenge porn bill. The bill would make it illegal to post or share sexually explicit photos of an ex. “This has become a method of domestic violence. This sharing of these images, photographs. Either by posting them on a website or sending them to employers, to parents, to children” said Schwank.
Currently there’s no law in Pennsylvania that would prosecute people that share explicit photos of an ex. Schwank said it can happen to men, but that women are usually the victims.
There’s also a demand for these types of photos. Some websites will pay for naked pictures of an ex-girlfriend. If the bill becomes law posting those types of pictures could land you up to 2 years in prison and a $5,000 fine. If the victim is a minor then it could carry up to 5 years in jail and a $10,000 fine.
The bill has already been unanimously passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Schwank said making it law can’t come soon enough in order to protect young people. She said that her office has not heard of any opposition to the bill and that it could be voted on by the Senate as soon as the end of this month. If it passes it will go to the House before making its way to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law.
Schwank says the Attorney General’s office has also come out in support of the bill.