Legislation to Crack Down on “Cyber Revenge”

Bipartisan bills will be introduced in Lansing today to end what some are calling "Cyber Revenge."

MLive.com is reporting that the legislaton would make posting sexually-explicit images of a person online without their permission a criminal offense.

The bills are sponsored by Senators Rick Jones, a Republican from Grand Ledge, and Steve Bieda, a Democrat from Warren.

The bills would apply to individuals who take the picture themselves or those who hack into systems and steal the images.

Under Senate Bills 924 and 925, first-time offenders would face misdemeanor charges. punishable by a fine, jail or both.

Repeat offenders would be looking at additional fines and time in prison.

The report indicates that the new legislation is based on recommendations from the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, which seeks to end "revenge porn" by making offenders responsible both in civil and criminal courts.

"Explicit photographs of an individual published on a website, where millions of people can view it, can turn their humiliation into a public commodity that devastates lives," Bieda said.

He and Jones are urging quick action by lawmakers.

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