Finally. This past June, Massachusetts became the 49th state to criminalize so-called “revenge porn,” one component of a bill signed into law by Gov. Maura Healey. The law, “An Act to Prevent Abuse and Exploitation,” gives more tools for victims to fight back and reclaim their lives and their dignity. On Sept. 18, the new law went into effect, just in time for October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
The law criminalizes the sharing of sexually explicit images and videos without a subject’s consent, so called “revenge porn,” and explicitly bans artificially generated material purporting to depict a real person in a sexually explicit manner, often called “deep fakes.” It also creates a new diversion and education program for adolescents who engage in sexting. The law increases the fine for harassment from $1,000 to $5,000. It extends the statute of limitations for assault and battery on a family or household member or against someone with an active protective order from six years to 15 years which brings it in line with the statute of limitations for the crimes of rape, assault with intent to commit rape and sex trafficking.
