Colorado legislature goes after purveyors of 'revenge porn'

A bill that would criminalize the posting of intimate images over the Internet as an act of humiliation - so-called "revenge porn" - passed its first test in the Colorado state legislature, reported Reuters.
Similar legislation has been since been introduced in more than two dozen states this year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Last year, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a first-of-its-kind state law criminalizing revenge porn, the distribution of private, explicit photos of other people on the Internet, usually by ex-lovers or spouses, to humiliate them.

The bipartisan proposal passed through the Colorado House Judiciary Committee by an 11-0 vote after members heard more than two hours of testimony.

The bill's said after the hearing that victims of such activities would be vulnerable if an ex-partner decided to post embarrassing photos or videos online, making them readily accessible to the general public or an employer, for example.

The issue has gained attention nationwide, mostly from publicized cases involving operators of web sites who will post humiliating explicit images, and then charge the victim money to have them removed.

Under the Colorado measure, a person could face a maximum $10,000 fine if convicted of posting or otherwise disseminating images depicting another person's intimate parts if the actions are intended to cause "serious emotional distress."

The proposed law would make the offense a class-one misdemeanor under the Colorado criminal code.
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