Rhode Island lawmakers pass bill banning revenge porn

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island’s General Assembly has passed legislation banning so-called revenge porn.

The House passed the bill Thursday and the Senate passed it Tuesday. Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo supports the measure.

The law criminalizes the posting of nude images online without the consent of the person in the photo. Lawmakers say hackers and former partners post the material for exploitation or humiliation.

The bill is a compromise between Raimondo and Democratic Attorney General Peter Kilmartin, who advocated for the legislation.

The assembly passed a similar bill in 2016. But Raimondo vetoed it, saying it was too broad and could have unintentionally forbidden publishing news photos.

Lawmakers say the new bill includes language about the perpetrator’s intent and stipulates the victim must be identifiable.