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The New York State Legislature passed a bill to criminalize the distribution and publication of revenge porn or explicit images of a person. Governor Andrew Cuomo said he will sign the legislation into law.

In a statement on Thursday, Cuomo stated, "For years, I have called for outlawing revenge porn as part of our fight to combat sexual violence in all its forms. This disgusting and insidious behavior, which can follow victims around their entire lives, has no place in New York.

The governor praised the Legislature for “embracing this proposal,” which empowers a victim to take action against an individual who commit such wrongdoing.

“In New York, we will never stop fighting to protect and strengthen women's rights and opportunity,” added Cuomo.

Provisions of the legislation

Under the legislation, it is a crime to disseminate or publish intimate photos or videos of a person without his/her consent and with the intention to cause emotional, financial, or physical harm to him/her.

In addition, the victim has the private right to take action and pursue damages and relief against a person and ask a judge to order the websites to delete the images. That right of action works in conjunction with the criminal law, but does requires a charge or conviction to proceed.

Furthermore, a victim of revenge porn has the option to pursue a criminal case, a civil case or both.

Individuals engage in revenge porn will be held accountable

Assembly member Edward Braunstein, the author of the legislation, commented, "Revenge porn is a pervasive problem that often results in victims being threatened with sexual assault, stalked, harassed, or fired from jobs. Some victims have even committed suicide due to the severe emotional pain.”

“The passage of this legislation sends a strong message that individuals who engage in this type of reprehensible behavior will be held accountable for their actions,” he added.

On the other hand, Speaker Carl Heastie, said, "No one - absolutely no one - should be subjected to having their most intimate moments blasted across the internet without their consent.”