The legislation, expected to be introduced at the Hawaii Legislature this month, would make it unlawful to reproduce, distribute, exhibit, publish, transmit or otherwise disseminate “a representation of a nude person, a person engaging in sexual contact, or a person engaging in sexual penetration,” according to a draft.

“Representation” is defined as photographs, videos, computer-generated images and electronic, tape or wire recordings.

IMUAlliance and Girl Fest Hawaii are sponsoring legislation, which is being coordinated through the office of House Vice Speaker John Mizuno. The groups say there is no state law “to prevent exes from sharing explicit photos after a bad breakup, employees from transmitting embarrassing images of their colleagues after workplace feuds, or patrons of prostitution from publishing on the Internet photos of sex-trafficking victims whom they’ve paid for sex.”

“It’s not only a new form of abuse, but a method of control and retaliation that needs a legal deterrent,” said Girl Fest Hawaii Non-Executive Director Kathryn Xian. 

Photo: Laptop. (bigpresh)

—Chad Blair