House Bill 110, sponsored by Reps. Joni Jenkins, D-Shively, and Tom Riner, D-Louisville, would make sharing such images a misdemeanor if they show an identifiable person and are shared with intent to harass, intimidate or otherwise harm without a person’s consent. Sharing the same images maliciously for profit or gain would be a felony.
The bill was amended by the House to clarify that written consent for distribution of such images must be given by those photographed, and that consent to the creation of an image does not inherently mean consent to its distribution.
Jenkins said revenge porn is a tactic often used to humiliate a former romantic partner when a relationship fails. There are cases where former partners have “sent these photos to (their former partner’s) friends, their minister, their mother, their grandmother in a way that is very harmful and humiliating,” said Jenkins.
Rep. James Tipton, R-Taylorsville, said in context of the discussion on HB 110 that “personal decisions have consequences.”
“Your choices have consequences. I know… people fall in love, they do things, but situations like this can impact people for the rest of their life. And I’d just like us to take the opportunity to encourage people to be responsible for your actions and consequences and think about what you’re doing,” said Tipton.
HB 110 passed the House by a vote of 92-0.
