BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The Louisiana state Senate has unanimously approved a bill that would make revenge pornography a crime.

Under the measure, anyone who shares a nude or partially-nude picture, such as a cellphone photo or video, without permission could face up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

The proposal, from Rep. Julie Stokes, a Kenner Republican, has received House backing, but heads back there for approval of Senate changes.

The controversial bill has been criticized as an unconstitutional violation of free speech which would likely be struck down by the courts.

Existing law already makes it a crime to send a nude image of someone under the age of 17. Proponents of Stokes’ bill say a new law is needed to protect people over that age.

The bill contains exceptions for law enforcement investigations, someone reporting illegal conduct to police or people who expose themselves in public.

___

House Bill 489: www.legis.la.gov

The Associated Press