SACRAMENTO — Jilted lovers beware: Gov. Jerry Brown signed California’s "revenge porn" bill into law yesterday, making it a crime to maliciously post nude photos.
According to the new law, those who “electronically distribute nude images of another person with the intent to cause serious emotional distress” may face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Because the bill included an "urgency clause," it went into effect immediately following its signing.
State senator Anthony Canella who authored Senate Bill 255, said in a press release, “"Until now, there was no tool for law enforcement to protect victims. Too many have had their lives upended because of an action of another that they trusted." He also thanked the governor for taking action.
SB 255 sailed through the state’s legislature, passing committee in June and unanimously passing the full assembly last month.
California joins New Jersey, the only other state to make revenge porn a criminal offense. A similar measure was shot down in Florida earlier this year.