Bills Penalizing Revenge Porn Become Law

Legislation that imposes civil and criminal penalties on those who share so-called “revenge porn” is now state law.

The bills, recently signed by the governor, seek to penalize those who share – without permission – an intimate photo or video of someone. And Sen. Aaron Freeman (R-Indianapolis) says lawmakers tried to make the language as broad as possible.

“Doesn’t just only apply to the web," Freeman says. "It applies to handing out a piece of paper to somebody as well.”

Freeman says the legal language does have its limits, though.

“If you’re surfing the web and you find an image that you, then, repost, that is not covered in this bill and that is not a crime,” Freeman says.

The civil penalties could be $10,000 or more. And the criminal penalty is a misdemeanor, which becomes a felony for repeat offenders.