Tuesday, a California state senator announced amendments to the anti-revenge porn law that passed this year.
The law, which was the first revenge-porn specific in the nation, passed in October. Some critics have said the law has too many loopholes.
Currently, the law makes it illegal for people to distribute a sexually explicit photo they took of someone else without consent with the intent to cause harm. It excludes people who take photos of themselves.
Also, prosecutors have to prove that the poster intended to cause serious emotional distress and that the victim actually suffered it.
Sen. Anthony Cannella, R-Ceres, aims to change that.
"The consequences have destroyed the lives of the victims, some even committing suicide," Cannella said.
Cannella announced the legislation Tuesday outside the Old Courthouse in Madera. He was joined by Madera County District Attorney Michael Keitz and Charlotte Laws, a victims advocate.
Laws knows the kind of damage this kind of cyber bullying can cause. Two years ago, her daughter took a topless photo of herself and saved it on her computer. The photo was meant to be private.
"Three months later she was hacked. Nine days after that, her topless shot appeared on the most notorious revenge porn website next to her name, city, and social media link," Laws said.
Eighty percent of revenge porn victims took the photos themselves, according to the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, of which Laws is a board member.
The proposed amendments include protection for victims such as Laws' daughter.
Cannella also wants to change the stipulation to the law that says the poster needs to have intended to cause emotional distress, and actually cause the victim to suffer it.
"This bill will make the law apply to anyone who distributes revenge porn knowingly that has the depicted person, and they have not consented to those pictures being distributed," Cannella said.
Just last week in San Diego, the creator of a revenge porn website, 27-year-old Christopher Kevin Bollaert, was arrested. He's now being charged with 31 felonies.
While other states are considering their own version of the law, advocates are pushing for a federal law that will address the issue.
Cannella will introduce his bill to the state legislature in January.
The law, which was the first revenge-porn specific in the nation, passed in October. Some critics have said the law has too many loopholes.
Currently, the law makes it illegal for people to distribute a sexually explicit photo they took of someone else without consent with the intent to cause harm. It excludes people who take photos of themselves.
Also, prosecutors have to prove that the poster intended to cause serious emotional distress and that the victim actually suffered it.
Sen. Anthony Cannella, R-Ceres, aims to change that.
"The consequences have destroyed the lives of the victims, some even committing suicide," Cannella said.
Cannella announced the legislation Tuesday outside the Old Courthouse in Madera. He was joined by Madera County District Attorney Michael Keitz and Charlotte Laws, a victims advocate.
Laws knows the kind of damage this kind of cyber bullying can cause. Two years ago, her daughter took a topless photo of herself and saved it on her computer. The photo was meant to be private.
"Three months later she was hacked. Nine days after that, her topless shot appeared on the most notorious revenge porn website next to her name, city, and social media link," Laws said.
Eighty percent of revenge porn victims took the photos themselves, according to the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, of which Laws is a board member.
The proposed amendments include protection for victims such as Laws' daughter.
Cannella also wants to change the stipulation to the law that says the poster needs to have intended to cause emotional distress, and actually cause the victim to suffer it.
"This bill will make the law apply to anyone who distributes revenge porn knowingly that has the depicted person, and they have not consented to those pictures being distributed," Cannella said.
Just last week in San Diego, the creator of a revenge porn website, 27-year-old Christopher Kevin Bollaert, was arrested. He's now being charged with 31 felonies.
While other states are considering their own version of the law, advocates are pushing for a federal law that will address the issue.
Cannella will introduce his bill to the state legislature in January.