PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – The Florida Senate has passed legislation that would making revenge porn a crime and provide stiff penalties for violators.
"This significant legislation will strengthen our ability to prosecute the heinous crime that is revenge porn," Miami-Dade County State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said. "I am very appreciative of the wonderful collaboration with our stakeholders and legislators, particularly former prosecutor and now state Rep. Carlos Trujillo and the efforts of Sen. David Simmons and state Rep, Tom Goodson, who co-sponsored this important bill."
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Just this past February, Local 10 News reported on the arrest of a Miami Beach man who was accused of posting nude photos of his ex-girlfriend on social media sites and even sharing photos to her co-workers' online accounts.
But Antonio Giansante Garcia was not charged with revenge porn, but rather child pornography and promoting sexual performance by a child.
Police said they were able to arrest Garcia because the victim was only 16 years old when some of the photos and videos of her were taken.
Garcia maintains that his computer was hacked and he did not willingly share her photos.
Meanwhile, a 27-year-old man from California who operated a now-offline revenge porn website was convicted earlier this month of six counts of extortion and 21 counts of identity theft.
Kevin Christopher Bollaert was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
Experts, who have seen a rise in revenge porn, say the best bet for victims may be to copyright your body parts.
CNN recently reported about a woman who said she was forced to copyright her breasts after her long-distance ex-boyfriend posted her nude photos online to humiliate her.
According to the report, experts advise victims to first file a takedown notice under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. If the website refuses to remove the image, because the picture were taken consensually, then suing for copyright infringement should be the next step.
Florida's bill, previously passed by the House, now awaits Gov. Rick Scott's signature.
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