Edly-Allen Advances Legislation Adding Protections for Victims of Revenge Porn

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Refusing to back down to attempts by Springfield politicians to sideline her efforts to enact new protections for victims of revenge porn, state Rep. Mary Edly-Allen, D-Libertyville, passed landmark reforms out of the House on Thursday cracking down on criminals who use technology to sexually abuse victims.

“Disseminating, sharing or posting private images of someone without their consent is more than just an egregious violation of privacy. It’s a form of sexual abuse. The consequences go far beyond embarrassment. For victims, this crime can cause long-term loss of income, professional harm, severe emotional distress, and legal fees,” said Edly-Allen. “There were many in Springfield who didn’t want these protections, and fought me every step of the way. They should know better. I refused to back down.”

Edly-Allen recently passed Senate Bill 1507, which allows victims of revenge porn to pursue civil damages against individuals who disseminate or threaten to disseminate private sexual images without their consent. In addition, the legislation allows victims to have their names redacted or use a pseudonym in court documents to protect their identity and privacy. The initiative was met with contentious debate in the House where some legislators advocated for maintaining the status quo and weakening the strong protections for victims offered by Edly-Allen.

“There are politicians in Springfield who have demonstrated they want to maintain the status quo and stand on the wrong side of history instead of with victims,” Edly-Allen added. “If standing up for issues important to our community ruffles some feathers in Springfield, then that tells me I’m doing something right.”

Edly-Allen’s bill comes in response to calls for reforms after a criminal indictment was brought against disgraced former state Rep. Nick Sauer following allegations that he used sexually explicit images of his ex-girlfriend to ‘catfish’ other men.