Alameda County District Attorney Announces Bill Protecting Victims of ‘Revenge Porn’ Signed by Governor Newsom
SACRAMENTO — Alameda County District Attorney Nancy E. O’Malley announces that a groundbreaking piece of legislation sponsored by the office was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom to help victims of “revenge porn” have more time to report the abuse.
Senate Bill 23, authored by Senator Susan Rubio, extends the statute of limitations for invasion of privacy cases, commonly referred to as “revenge porn.” The statute will be extended to one year from the time that the victim discovers any images or intimate materials posted—rather than a year from their posting.
“The posting of intimate or private photos and videos without consent is not only invasive, and turning increasingly common, but a form of image-based sexual abuse. This new law will ensure that California can protect victims of this horrible crime,” said DA O’Malley. “I want to thank Governor Newsom for signing this important piece of legislation and our author Senator Rubio for being a champion for victims of crime.”
Cyber revenge is an invasive crime, which often involves the online posting of private or intimate photos of another person without the person’s consent. In many cases, the pictures are taken over the course of a relationship and while the victim may have consented to the original taking of the picture, he or she did not consent to the electronic distribution of the images. Typically, these photos are posted to social media sites to shame, embarrass, harass, and intimidate the victim.
“Perpetrators of domestic violence sometimes use the release of private, intimate images as another tool of coercive control,” said Senator Rubio. “It’s an attempt to shame and intimidate the victim, with the plan to provoke long-lasting trauma in their personal and professional lives. I want to thank Governor Newsom for signing this bill, and my colleagues for their support. This will give victims, who often don’t find out until much later that the images have been released, more time to seek justice.”
PDF of Press Release
Posted on Oct 7, 2021