Hawaii Makes Revenge Porn a Felony

HONOLULU — Hawaii has become the 10th state in the nation to pass a law against revenge porn.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed the bill into law on June 20 that makes it illegal for anyone to record or disseminate images or video or a person in the nude or in sexual conduct without their consent.

“Today the State of Hawaii will have enacted a law which makes it a felony for perpetrators to post unconsented nude or sexual photos of another person on the Internet,” said Rep. John Mizuno who authored the bill. “There is not one scintilla of doubt this new law will save lives.”

The criminalization of revenge porn in Hawaii — a class 5 felony —carries with it a penalty punishable of up to five years in jail.

Mizuno said the law was tough to pass because of free speech issues, but believes that hurting a person’s career or mental state by providing personal information “crosses the line.”

"He or she can be in jail for more than five years, so this is pretty powerful. It's pretty potent, so it will be a strong deterrent for those that want to do something like this," Mizuno said.

Human rights activists claimed victory after the adoption of the law.

"I feel great. It's a huge victory for victims of sexual assault. I think it's important to remember that revenge porn is sexual assault," Kris Coffield of the Imua Alliance told Hawaii News Now.

"Spreading somebody's naked image online for everybody to see without that person's permission is extremely abusive and traumatic for that victim," added Kathryn Xian, of the Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery.

"Given that the Internet makes the commission of cyber crimes like revenge porn so easy, the number of cases out there is going to far exceed our expectations," Coffield added.

Hawaii joins Arizona, California, New Jersey, New York, Georgia, Idaho, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin as states that have passed revenge porn laws. Idaho and Arizona make it a felony for a first violation; the crime is a felony in Georgia and Utah on the second offense.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Michigan Legislators Propose Online Porn Ban

Michigan lawmakers have introduced a bill that would make it illegal to distribute pornography via the internet in the state.

Florida AG Sues Aylo, Segpay Over State AV Law

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed lawsuits against Aylo and Segpay on Monday with the 12th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida for noncompliance with HB3, the state's age verification law.

Colombian Court Sides with Performer Esperanza Goméz Over IG Suspensions

Colombia’s Constitutional Court last week ruled in favor of adult performer Esperanza Gómez in her legal battle against Meta over repeated suspensions of her Instagram account.

Missouri AG Announces Age Verification Rule to Take Effect Nov. 30

Newly appointed Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced Friday that the state's recently approved age verification regulation for adult websites will go into effect on Nov. 30.

Aylo, Woodhull Freedom Foundation to Host 'Online Censorship' Event

Aylo and Woodhull Freedom Foundation will co-host a virtual panel addressing online censorship on Sept. 30.

Severe Sex Films Relaunches Site Through YourPaysitePartner

Severe Sex Films has relaunched its official website through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Judge Awards Plaintiffs Over $400K in Attorneys Fees in Derek Hay Civil Case

California Superior Court Judge Gail Killefer has awarded former clients of LA Direct Models over $400,000 in attorneys fees and court costs, to be paid by agency founder Derek Hay.

ChickPass Rebrands as 'ChickPass Cinematic Universe'

ChickPass has announced that it has rebranded its network of sites as ChickPass Cinematic Universe.

Brazilian Adult Industry Association ABIPEA Launches

Brazilian Association of the Adult Entertainment Industry and Professionals (ABIPEA) has officially launched its organization.

New Adult Social Media Platform 'Havven' Opens Beta Phase

Havven, a new adult social media platform, has opened its beta phase and will officially launch Oct. 5.

Show More