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Kasich signs bill toughening laws to thwart ‘revenge porn’
YOUNGSTOWN
People who share “revenge porn” will soon find themselves on the wrong side of the law.
Republican Gov. John Kasich signed Ohio House Bill 497 into law Friday, which bans the sharing of private sexual images and punishes people who distribute sexually explicit images for the purposes of harassment.
The first offense is a third-degree misdemeanor, the second offense is a second-degree misdemeanor, and a third offense would result in a first-degree misdemeanor.
The bill also prevents state institutions and license-granting agencies from punishing or otherwise discriminating against victims of image abuse.
An image-abuse advocacy group, Battling Against Demeaning and Abusive Selfie Sharing, has been working for more than a year to assist and support victims of revenge porn.
A local woman, Katelyn Bowden, started the group after her own images were stolen and spread around online.
For Bowden and the members and supporters of BADASS, the bill’s passage is a major victory.
“We are so excited to learn that we now have criminal options to help get justice for victims,” Bowden said. “Every member of BADASS has been following this bill from its inception, and it’s truly thrilling to see it finally be signed into a law. We have BADASSes from all over Ohio celebrating tonight. We have a big following all over the state.”
Bowden joined several other victims of image abuse to accompany state Sen. Joe Schiavoni of Boardman, D-33rd, to testify in support of his Senate Bill 251, which was also meant to criminalize image abuse.
Schiavoni said his version of the bill stalled in the House in part because it included workplace protections for victims of image abuse, which would prohibit workplaces from punishing employees whose photos are shared without their consent.
He said he was pleased HB 497 was passed, and hopes that future bills will expand the legislation to include workplace protections.
Bowden said members of BADASS were talking to lawmakers in New York and Montana about similar legislation and will continue to pursue anti-image-abuse laws in states that have no protections against revenge porn.