SACRAMENTO, CA – Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill by Senator Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) expanding her previous revenge porn legislation to include public displays of intimate images without consent.
Senate Bill 1081 strengthens current revenge porn statute and protects victims by defining the term “distribute.” This will allow victims to seek justice if private, intimate images are publicly displayed without consent. In 2020, the Legislature passed SB 23, also by Senator Rubio, which protected the rights of revenge porn victims by changing the statute of limitations to one year from when the image was discovered.
“Victims of revenge porn are harassed, humiliated, and traumatized, sometimes for a lifetime,” said Senator Rubio. “This is a personal, intimate violation of a person’s body. Perpetrators are always looking for new ways to skirt the law. That’s why I wanted to close this loophole and expand protections for victims who don’t deserve to have their lives ruined. I want to Gov. Newsom and my sponsors for their steadfast support of victims.”
“The California District Attorneys Association applauds Senator Rubio and the Governor for their leadership in protecting California from the serious issue of revenge porn,” said Greg Totten, CDAA’s chief executive officer. This common-sense, narrow bill clarifies the definition of distribute so that an offender who plasters a naked photo of his ex on his truck and drives all around town doesn’t get away with it.”
“Breakups are hard but the end of a relationship does not give anyone the right to s hare private, intimate photos of a former partner with others,” said Meg Holtman, Deputy District Attorney at Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. “This behavior can have personal and professional consequences for the victim that will last much longer than the offender’s hurt feelings. SB 1081 prevents would -be offenders from exploiting a legal loophole and provides victims with the legal protections they should have had all along.”
Revenge porn has become an increasingly common crime intended to shame and intimidate victims. Often times, victims may suffer additional harm such as threats of physical violence, stalking, and criminal threats. A study by the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative found that 93% of victims suffered significant emotional distress because of their victimization; 51% had suicidal thoughts; and 49% stated they had been stalked or harassed online by users who saw their material.
After SB 23 became law, concerns were raised with revenge porn protections not being applicable to victims who discovered their intimate images were being publicly displayed without consent.
For example, in Shasta County, a victim discovered an enlarged naked image of herself on the side of an ex-boyfriend’s truck. She could not seek protection under current revenge porn statute because the image was not “distributed” but publicly displayed.
Senator Susan Rubio represents Senate District 22. For more information, visit her website at https://sd22.senate.ca.gov/
