Unwanted Sexting And “Revenge Porn” Now Clearly Illegal In Pennsylvania
If your girlfriend (or boyfriend) sends you a racy photograph of themselves can you send it on to your friends (or their enemies)? When school starts in September a new law will make it a crime to disseminate nude or sexually explicit images of a current or former intimate partner if done with the intent to harass, annoy or alarm the person in the photo (is there any other motivation?).
If the photos are of a person under 18 the maximum penalty is 5 years in jail for each picture. If the person in the picture is over 18 the maximum penalty is three years in jail for each picture. The law also provides for fines of up to $10,000 for each picture of a person under 18 and $5,000 per picture when the person is older.
The law also creates a new statutory private civil cause of action that allows for the award of damages (actual damages or $500 whichever is greater) per picture. More importantly the new law also provides for the award of reasonable attorney’s fees for the person victimized by sexting or revenge porn. In other words, if you post or forward sexually explicit photos of your ex not only will you have to pay them, you will have to pay their lawyer when you are sued.
According to a recent article on CriminalDefenseLawyer.com, “revenge porn – the online posting of explicit photos of people without their permission, usually by exes – is a legal gray area in most states.” It is no longer a gray area in Pennsylvania. Federal legislation is also pending to make this conduct illegal.
Love may not last, but posting on the internet can be forever. If you think you have been the victim of sexting or revenge porn call the experienced lawyers at The Mazza Law Group, P.C. to discuss your rights and how we can protect them.
Today’s Legal Tip: “They are called ‘privates’ for a reason – keep them private.” Call The Mazza Law Group, P.C., (814) 237-6255.
Photo Credit: rgallant_photography via Compfight cc
Unwanted Sexting And “Revenge Porn” Now Clearly Illegal In Pennsylvania was last modified: September 17th, 2015 by William Arbuckle