TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – In the past few years the term revenge porn has been used to describe the leaking of sexually explicit photographs on the Internet as a form of retaliation by a scorned lover. One revenge porn victim took a stand against the practice and has helped lobby a bill that becomes law Thursday morning, along with a host of other new laws.
Florida State University student Carly Hellstrom was a victim of revenge porn in 2014 when her ex-boyfriend shared intimate photos of her online without her permission.
She fought back and since winning a legal battle over the incident her proactive approach has changed statewide legislation. But, she has said the fight is not over yet.
"It's something that's very near and dear to my heart and I was a victim of it, and with it not being illegal at the time, when it happened to me, it was just my gut feeling to do something about it," Hellstrom (pictured) said.
That's why Hellstrom not only became an activist but a lobbyist for the bill that would make it illegal for someone to post sexually explicit material of another person without them knowing.
"I think that it's a topic that's not discussed and not talked about because it's so personal and humiliating in a way. So I kind of got past the point of humiliation and I figure speaking out about it will help the issue come to the surface," Hellstrom said.
Hellstrom said that it took two years, but when the bill passed it was the best day of her life. She said the bill is beneficial because it will scare and deter potential victims from sending personal photos and keep potential criminals from posting them.
But Hellstrom also said that since the new law requires the revenger to upload the personal photos including personal identifying information, the bill still needs some tweaking.
"It's not where it needs to be to protect the victim, because one picture speaks a thousand words and you don't necessarily have to have some form of identification attached to that image for it to ruin your life," Hellstrom said.
For now a first offense would be a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail. A second violation would be a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison.
MORE ONLINE: New Florida laws take effect October 1