House Bill 49, pre-filed on Tuesday, would make it a Class 1 misdemeanor for anyone in Virginia to share or sell nude or sexually explicit photos or videos of another person with the intent to cause “substantial emotional distress.”

Conviction would carry a penalty of up to a year in jail, up to a $2,500 fine, or both.

“It’s probably enough to get somebody who is feeling hurt or vindictive to think twice about it,” state Del.-elect Marcus Simon, who filed the bill, told Patch. Simon’s district includes much of Falls Church, along with the Pimmit Hills and Merrifield areas of Fairfax County.

The idea is to curb the use of images or videos taken during a romantic relationship to harass someone after the relationship has ended, particularly online. The practice is sometimes defended as speech protected by the First Amendment.

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via ‘Revenge Porn’ Could Be Outlawed Under New State Bill – Government – Centreville, VA Patch.