Politics & Government
Valrico Senator Sponsors Video Voyeurism Bill
Ronda Storms, R-Valrico, wants to increase penalties for video voyeurism.
News Report
Just as technology can change and improve day-to-day life, technological advancements can also improve and enhance opportunities to commit crimes.
Sen. Ronda Storms, R-Valrico, is the sponsor of a bill which will appropriately increase penalties for perpetrators of video voyeurism, the filming or photographing of people without their knowledge or consent.
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Senate Bill 436 passed unanimously from the Senate Criminal Justice Committee this week and will be considered next in the Senate Budget Committee.
“Every day, people go about their lives in bathrooms, apartments, hotels, etcetera, and they would be horrified to learn that some perverted person is videoing or photographing their private lives without their knowledge or permission,” said Storms in a press release issued this week. “Anyone can go online or to the nearest electronics store to purchase equipment that would have been available only to James Bond several years ago. It is easy to use this technology in the wrong way and spy on others against their will.”
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Perhaps the most famous incident of video voyeurism to date happened to one of Storms’ former constituents, Erin Andrews, a Bloomingdale High School graduate. The ESPN sportscaster was videotaped through a peephole in her hotel room. Storms wants to ensure that violators like the man in Andrews’ case are punished appropriately, and she hopes to discourage future crimes.
The federal government passed the Video Voyeurism Prevention Act in 2004, making it a misdemeanor to intentionally capture an image of a private area of another person without his or her consent. However, because these violations are only misdemeanors, Florida law enforcement officials are often unable to secure the necessary evidence to press charges or convict the offender.
SB 436 would make it a third-degree felony for perpetrators who violate the privacy of unassuming victims in “a place and time when a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy,” such as bathrooms or fitting rooms, specifically adding “the interior of a residential dwelling” to the list of privacy locations. In addition, SB 436 elevates current third-degree felony offenses to second-degree felonies, and it enhances penalties for certain video voyeurism offenses committed against children to first-degree felonies.
“In the age of social media, images and videos can be distributed online and viewed by the masses in an instant,” added Storms. “Unfortunately, there are people abusing technology to violate and victimize others. Florida’s current law is not severe enough, and we need to adequately punish offenders and deter future acts.”
For more details on this bill and others moving through the legislative process, visit www.flsenate.gov.
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