A bill that expanded the state’s retaliation porn legislation by including a new class of “sexual” photos that would be illegal to distribute passed the House of Delegates of Virginia on Wednesday, clearing an early obstacle.
The bill’s Democratic backer, Del. Irene Shin, said that the legislation would expand on earlier efforts by the General Assembly to shield victims from having their private photos shared without authorization.
When sex films livestreamed by Democratic House candidate Susanna Gibson and her husband were discovered by the news media last year, the topic of so-called revenge pornography became a major focus in state politics.
Susanna Gibson claims that the state’s retaliation porn legislation was broken by the recordings’ distribution. The current measure was advanced to a full committee on Wednesday by an 8-0 subcommittee vote, according to her, demonstrating that the General Assembly is aware of the “severity and extent of the damage that is done to victims.”
The present statute in the state addresses photos of individuals that show them completely naked or in an undressed state with their pubic area, buttocks, breasts, or genitalia visible. The prohibition would be expanded by Shin’s bill to include pictures that are “sexual in nature” but do not reveal certain body parts. What is meant to be considered “sexual in nature” is not defined.
Additionally, the bill would increase the prosecution’s statute of limitations to ten years from the victim’s date of offense discovery. As of right now, it is five years from the date of the offense.
Shin stated, “Most of the time, victims are unaware that their private photos have been shared.”
The proposed measure has the support of the Virginia Victim Assistance Network.
According to Catherine Ford, a spokesperson for the victims’ network, “more and more relationships involve consensually exchanging intimate images, which may later become fodder for humiliating cyberattacks.”
Present-day legislation in Virginia declares it unlawful to “maliciously” distribute or market another person’s intimate or nude photos with the goal of “coercing, harassing, or intimidating.”
Susanna Gibson has stated that the revelation of the sexual content she believed would just be live-streamed rather than preserved on tape upended her personal life and resulted in abuse and death threats. Gibson, who previously acknowledged considering a run for office in an AP interview, has not ruled out another one.
Though she lost the House contest by a small margin, she did not withdraw.
Susanna Gibson is scheduled to formally announce the creation of a new political action committee later this week to support candidates who are committed to tackling issues related to sexual and gender-based abuse, including revenge porn.
“Anyone can be impacted by these crimes, irrespective of age, class, race, or political affiliation,” the speaker stated.
To avoid becoming a “polarizing figure,” Susanna Gibson did not testify on Wednesday, according to her.
Republican governor Glenn Youngkin’s spokeswoman, Christian Martinez, was asked about the bill and would only state that the governor will consider any legislation that reaches his desk.
