Senate Bill Aims to Combat 'Revenge Porn' in the Virgin Islands

A bill introduced to the Senate on Tuesday hopes to protect victims whose sexually explicit images have been shared without their consent – a practice often called “revenge porn” – as well as prevent such instances in the future.

Senator Donna Frett-Gregory, introducing Bill 35-0182 to the Committee on Homeland Security, Justice and Public Safety, observed that with the current age of technology “more and more people are becoming victims in a whole new way.” The measure, if ultimately passed into law, would amend Title 14, Chapter 51 of Virgin Islands Code by designating the existing provisions as subchapter I and adding a subchapter II relating to the non-consensual dissemination of sexually explicit images. Under the proposed legislation, the first offense would be a misdemeanor offense with a prison term not exceeding one year, and future offenses would be deemed a felony. The statute of limitations for filing a criminal complaint will be two years after the victim becomes aware of the “revenge porn” incident.

Similar laws have already been enacted in 48 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. In the USVI, Ms. Frett-Gregory’s bill would criminalize “the practice of disseminating non-consensual content of a sexually explicit nature if the perpetrator acted with a specific intent,” which could include harassment, intimidation, threats, coercion or inflicting physical, emotional or financial harm.

The draft legislation would make the non-consensual dissemination of sexually explicit images the 15th crime of domestic violence crime in the territory.