By Mark Hallum
Councilmen Rory Lancman (D-Hillcrest) and Dan Garodnick (D-Manhattan) announced Wednesday the introduction of a bill which will up the punishment for disseminating intimate photos or videos of individuals without permission. The legislation is based on a state bill by Assemblyman Edward Braunstein (D-Bayside) and will make what is commonly known as “revenge porn” punishable by one year in jail, a fine of $1,000 or both.
“Releasing naked pictures of someone without their permission is absolutely despicable and it’s time for our laws to catch up with our technology so that victims of revenge porn can get the justice they deserve,” said Lancman. “We need to hold people accountable for their actions, especially since leaking intimate images of someone can have devastating and lifelong consequences. Our bill, modeled on a similar state bill, would make sure that strong protections are in place for New Yorkers.”
Braunstein said he was happy to see his bill adopted at the city level to protect victims from the sometimes tragic outcomes of revenge porn.
“Revenge porn is a widespread problem which has inflicted major emotional pain on thousands of victims, tragically causing some to commit suicide,” Assemblyman Edward Braunstein (D-Bayside) said. “Victims of revenge porn are routinely threatened with sexual assault, stalked, harassed, or even fired from their jobs.”
Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhall
