Dear Senators Klobuchar and Cornyn,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to advise you of our support for S. 516, the “Stopping Harmful Image Exploitation and Limiting Distribution (SHIELD) Act.” This legislation would prohibit the distribution of Non-Consensually Distributed Intimate Images (NDII) that loopholes in select States have thus far prevented.
With the ubiquity of smartphones, the ease with which images and videos of an intimate or sexual nature can be collected and shared without consent allows individuals with malicious intent the means to victimize anyone who appears in these materials. Right now, 48 States have enacted laws criminalizing the sharing of NDII materials, but the classification and penalties for the crimes are wildly inconsistent. This legislation provides the U.S. Department of Justice with the tools they need to combat the sharing of NDII by individuals with access to private, intimate or sexually explicit videos or pictures and who use them to exploit or harass victims that appear in them.
This bill will protect victims, adults and children alike, from harassment, intimidation, and exploitation by establishing criminal liability for individuals who share NDII materials and as well as addressing the threat of sexual extortion scams. The SHIELD Act would also ensure that images are not circulated without consent and adjusts existing laws to give prosecutors more power to hold individuals liable under the law.
On behalf of the more than 377,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, I urge you to consider our request. If I can be of any help or provide additional information in support of this legislation, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in our Washington, D.C. office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President