A Continuing Threat: NYS Senate Votes to Expand “Revenge Porn” Statute to Intimate Image Threats

The New York State Senate today approved an expansion of the state’s Unlawful Dissemination or Publication of an Intimate Image law, often called the "Revenge Porn" statute, to include threats to release such material.  The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Monica R. Martinez, adds to the protections first secured under the 2019 law that criminalized the non-consensual release of explicit images and videos.

“Perpetrators don’t just harm with their actions; they also terrorize with their threats,” said Sen. Martinez. “Just a threat of releasing compromising personal content can be as psychologically damaging to a victim as the act itself.  That is why getting this enhancement signed into law is essential to protecting New Yorkers from abusers who attempt to use shame as an instrument of coercion.”

The bill, S205, would amend section 245.15 of the New York State Penal Law to include threats to disseminate or publish intimate images or videos, including content that has been digitally created or altered using artificial intelligence.  If enacted, violators could face up to one year in jail and fines.  The proposal was previously approved by the Senate in 2024 but did not advance in the Assembly before the conclusion of that year’s legislative session.

Sen. Martinez began her work to protect victims of “revenge porn” during her tenure in the Suffolk County Legislature.  After joining the State Senate, she led the historic 2019 effort to criminalize coercion statewide through the non-consensual release of intimate images and videos, helping survivors hold perpetrators accountable both in criminal court and civil proceedings.  The Senate vote comes just one day after the Suffolk County Bar Association held a webinar on the statute and its real-world impact on victims, titled “Pioneering Justice: Winning Millions for Revenge Porn Victims in New York.”