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Revenge Porn Is Now A Crime In NSW, With Three Years' Jail And An $11k Fine

'Intimate image abuse' is now illegal in the state.
Revenge porn is now an offence in NSW.
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Revenge porn is now an offence in NSW.

NSW has just criminalised revenge porn, with a new offence added to the state's criminal laws which carry a maximum penalty of three years in jail and an $11,000 fine.

Attorney-General Mark Speakman announced the reforms on Friday, with NSW becoming the latest jurisdiction to target "intimate image abuse". The Federal Government is exploring ways to crack down on the trend at a national level, but Labor has criticised the Turnbull administration for failing to take faster action.

RMIT and La Trobe University surveyed 4200 people for a research paper, finding one in five had had a nude or sexual photo taken of them without consent, and one in 10 had had a nude photo of themselves shared without their permission.

On Friday, Speakman followed NSW's earlier promises to take action on revenge porn by announcing the new criminal penalties.

"No one should ever use intimate images to threaten, control or humiliate victims, which is why the NSW Government introduced this legislation to ensure perpetrators are held to account," he said in a statement.

Axel Bueckert

Under the new laws, an update to the Crimes Act 1900, recording or distributing intimate images without consent will be criminalised. NSW courts will also be empowered to issue "take down" orders, which will force offenders "to take reasonable steps to recover, delete or destroy images taken or distributed without consent". Disobeying this order could see an additional two years' jail and $5500 fine issued.

"The new laws shift the power away from vengeful ex-partners and manipulative predators and help victims regain privacy and dignity," Speakman said.

"It's not the victim's fault when a revenge porn image goes viral. Victims might have consented to the image being taken in a private moment, but that doesn't mean they want it shared with the world."

Speakman encouraged people who were victims of intimate image abuse to contact police and report the incidents.

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