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The Arizona House of Representatives voted unanimously yesterday in favor of a bill that would make it a felony offense to share someone else’s nude pictures without his or her permission.
Arizona is among several states that are taking up so-called “revenge porn” legislation this year.
See also:
–Arizona “Revenge Porn” Bill Moves ForwardThere are exceptions to Arizona’s bill, such as if the photograph is part of lawful medical treatment, or done in the context of law enforcement, or if the person in the photograph voluntarily exposed themselves in public.
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There was some opposition in the earlier stages of the bill, as a few legislators who thought that anyone who took nude pictures of themselves should have known it was likely their images would end up online.
“You can’t absolve somebody of complete stupidity,” Republican Representative Eddie Farnsworth said at one committee hearing.
Yesterday, though, everyone was in agreement, with a 58-0 vote in favor of the bill.
Republican Representative Warren Petersen cited cases in which people have committed suicide after their nude photos ended up online without their consent.
“[These images are] always looming — it never ceases to harass humiliate and depress those who don’t want their images displayed to the world,” Peterson, a sponsor of the bill, said. “You can’t move on, the horror just keeps replaying over and over again.”
The bill now moves over to the Senate.
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