Today, on Safer Internet Day, Assemblymember Monica Wallace (D-Lancaster) announced that her legislation to expand victim compensation to cover survivors of unlawful dissemination or publication of an intimate image is in effect. Assemblymember Wallace sponsored legislation (A7489) to compensate victims of these offenses, commonly known as “revenge porn,” for costs incurred as a result of the crime, such as lost earnings, mental health counseling fees, and relocation expenses.
In 2019, Assemblymember Wallace helped pass legislation (A5981) criminalizing revenge porn and giving victims an opportunity to pursue civil actions against alleged offenders. That action came after a 2017 study found 12 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 had explicit images of them shared without their consent.
“Sharing intimate images without consent is a cruel, abusive crime that often has long-lasting effects on victims, including harmed mental health, coercion, isolation, and deteriorated relationships,” said Assemblymember Wallace. “It’s only right that we provide these individuals with the same compensation that we afford to survivors of other sexual and abusive crimes. These resources will help survivors heal and move on with their lives.”
Victim compensation provides a safety net for crime victims and some family members to cover costs associated with being a victim of a serious crime. The assistance is available after all other sources of compensation, such as insurance or workers’ compensation, have been exhausted.
“Legislation like this truly reflects the needs of survivors,” said Mary Travers Murphy, Chief Executive Officer of the Family Justice Center. “It lessens the barriers in seeking justice and fosters healing. There is an immense amount of unfair shame and victim blaming associated with revenge porn and similar crimes. This sends a strong message to perpetrators that their criminal actions will not be tolerated, and an even stronger message to survivors that they matter.”
Assemblymember Wallace has a long record of passing legislation to empower victims of sexual and domestic crimes. In 2019, she passed a series of laws to support victims of domestic violence, including legislation to recognize identity theft, grand larceny and coercion as forms of domestic violence (A5608), and allow victims of domestic violence to receive damages for economic and non-economic losses from all defendants found liable in civil court (A5614). In this past session, she co-sponsored and championed legislation to authorize bail and pre-trial detention for domestic violence offenses.
