South Carolina lawmakers consider ‘revenge porn’ legislation

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WTOC) - South Carolina has a law against sextortion, which is when someone blackmails another person by threatening to release explicit images.

However there is nothing specifically outlawing the non-consensual sharing of those images. And this is not the first time lawmakers have tried to pass a bill like this. It’s been introduced at least twice before.

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If passed, the bill would make it illegal to intentionally share intimate photos or videos of someone without their permission. This includes AI-generated deep fakes, which manipulate images to portray the real person.

Offenders could face felony charges, with penalties ranging from hefty fines to up to 10 years in prison.

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And if someone shares multiple images of the same victim, each one could count as a separate offense.

“As we know, these images stay forever these days,” said Representative Chris Wooten, (R), Lexington County. “It’s not like back when Mr. Govan and I were back in the 80s when you could just tear up a polaroid, right. So, these things stick around for a very, very long time and it’s huge because of the amount of harm that can be done with it with today’s technology.”

Lawmakers will continue discussing the bill at their next subcommittee hearing.