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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill into law that will criminalize the publication of “revenge porn,” which is legally described as the “non-consensual sharing or publication of an intimate image.”
Under the new law, abusers will face criminal penalties of up to a year in jail, civil penalties and victims will be able to seek a court order to remove the images from the Internet.
"Our laws have not kept pace with technology and how abusers can use it to harass, intimidate and humiliate intimate partners," Cuomo said. "By criminalizing the publication of revenge porn, we are empowering victims of this heinous act to take action against their abusers and showing them a path to justice."
The new legislation defines “revenge porn” as the “criminal act of unlawful dissemination or publication of an intimate image when done with the intent to cause harm to the emotional, financial, or physical welfare of another person and when the image was taken with a reasonable expectation that the image would remain private.”
Cuomo said the new law establishes the act of sharing “revenge porn” as a Class A misdemeanor, and it amends the Civil Rights Law to allow victims of “revenge porn” to seek civil recourse for alleged damages.
"As part of our Women's Justice Agenda, we are focused on changing a culture that enables sexism and violence against women," Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul stated. "This legislation ensures New Yorkers are not victims of the nonconsensual release of intimate images, empowering them to take action to remove images from the Internet and subject abusers to jail time. This is another important step in our overall goals to achieve true social, economic, racial, and gender justice once and for all."
Sen. Monica Martinez added, "I was proud to champion this issue at a county level, and today I am honored to stand with my colleagues to pass this vitally important legislation at a state level that will work to protect victims of this particularly heinous crime.
“We are sending a strong message that this behavior will no longer be tolerated in the State of New York, and in doing so we are empowering victims to take a stand against this kind of violation. I want to extend my gratitude to the individuals who have come forward to share their powerful stories and to the advocacy groups who have given the victims a voice."
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