SYDNEY — Think twice before sending a sexually-explicit text message of your latest fling to your mates.
From Monday, sexting without consent in Victoria is illegal. That means that you cannot send or threaten to send a sext of another person deliberately or maliciously. However, sending a sext of yourself still appears to be legal.
The new offences are a first for Australia and could result in up to two years jail time for anyone caught sending an image illegally. This applies to the distribution of images of anyone under 18 years of age, and the distribution of images of adults without consent.
In a statement emailed to Mashable, Victoria’s Attorney-General Robert Clark said that under the new laws, two new summary offences of “distribution of an intimate image” and “threat to distribute an intimate image” not in line with community standards of acceptable behaviour have been created.
The current law has also been amended in regards to child pornography charges for minors. It is no longer illegal for someone under the age of 18 to create, distribute or store a sext of someone who is less than two years younger than them, as long as the person has the other’s permission.
Clark said that it’s important for the law to keep up with the rapid changes in technology.
source – mashable
“Previously, the law provided only limited protection against malicious distribution of intimate images and this behaviour can cause considerable harm to victims, especially when images ‘go viral,'” he said. “These new offences send a clear message that the malicious use of intimate images to embarrass and denigrate a victim is unacceptable and is a criminal offence.”