Maltese to introduce Revenge Porn or NonConsensual Bills

Maryann Maltese, former Regional Communications Manager of NYS Assembly 12th AD and now candidate for NYS Assembly 12th AD-shares her intention to introduce bills to support Women's Agenda.

First, I'm a Pro-Choice Candidate and believe in the separation of Church and State in policing measures. Women are still making 70-80cents per dollar earned and if women are not earning true value of earnings-then how can one put their personal beliefs on to another in formulating decisions on a Women's right to choose. I do not force my personal agenda on women-but I understand fully what it means for us to have all of our rights lumped into one budget bill at times forcing Women to settle for mediocre Legislation, said Maryann Maltese.

For years, women's rights have been lumped together forcing the issues at times for us to sell ourselves short and have mediocre legislative platforms drafted or passed as the means to our rights, said Maryann Maltese. That practice will no longer be the case in the 12th Assembly District under my watch. NYS was one of the Last States to permit couples to divorce without needing a drawn out divorce trial which discuss issues of the breakdown of the marriage primarily due to the Catholic Conference's objections. I was born Catholic, raised my children in the faith-and I'm still catholic, but I understand that I was called to work in policy and that is my priority ensuring that Legislative measures meet modern day protocols. My role is to Legislate for NYS if I'm elected, my personal religious beliefs are just that-personal and private.

As this Month is the 100th Anniversary of the Women's Suffrage Movement-women can take pride in advances; but until a Woman is making the same salary for job performances-as a potential policy maker I don't believe my personal choices should dictate what women are permitted to do with their bodies, said Maltese. I feel very strongly about this and I'm Pro-Choice. My commitment is for women to feel confident in their own skin and push themselves up at their highest level of achievement; love your spots so to say and to celebrate what we have achieved. I have also worked with organizations such as Bridge to Life; and with the Adoption Rights of Adoptee to receive their birth certificates as these groups assist when Women make a choice providing diapers and formula, said Maryann Maltese.

Advances in online communications have left many of us, mainly women as victims of revenge porn or the sharing of private nude photos to others. Again, NYS has left women in the dust being one of the last states to Author Laws to provide sanctionable penalties when predators intentionally-revengefully take action, said Maryann Maltese. Women, 9-10 times are the victims of such tactics and when it destroys one's life-civil and penal penalties need to be legislated so the Courts have the Jurisdiction to send a message. Once penal penalties are legislated-giving the Judicial branches the teeth they need-there will be less online revenge porn or predators looking to intentionally defame victims, said Maryann Maltese.

Social distancing measures are creating a festering ground for the potential of revenge porn tactics or defamation of character, or stealing of intellectual property, and such actions are more rampant-and our Penal and Civil codes are outdated. Online relationships are developing more so, trust being offered, photo's exchanged and if one partner is not truthful or use these private photos; people's lives can be destroyed both personally and professionally-and victims need avenues of Justice and laws need to be re-coded to include these actions. By introducing NYS's Revenge Porn Law-we'll be honoring our commitment to giving women a chance at receiving civil compensation for intentional revengeful acts and provide the courts with more ability to add criminal penalties. I will introduce the bill to carry Felony level Class C and D ; which generally carries sentencing of 3.5-15 years of jail time and/or steep civil fines depending on the intent of the crime, said Maryann Maltese.

This bill introduction will continue on my commitment to ensure that predators; whether its domestic oriented or those who intentionally prey on women, receive the fines and sentences they deserve, said Maltese. Maryann worked on the very First State Legislation Act that originally required Sex offenders to be registered with local law enforcement and prohibited convicted sex offenders from residing within 500 feet of School, Child or House of worship.

The revenge porn bill passage is similar to what needs to be required in statute to piece together the missing loop hole in present rules of law-to penalize those criminals who believe they have the right to intentionally-revengefully destroy someone's life-there's a predatory mindset that is similar to one when one participates in revenge and introducing this Bill-and it's passage will provide victims with the relief they need, said Maltese. I encourage voters of the 12th Assembly District to share their viewpoints with me, and once elected to Albany-I feel I have a good legislative platform going forward so we can hit the ground running to protect members of my community, said Maryann.

To get involved with the Campaign; reach out to Maryannmaltesefornysassembly@gmail.com. To get involved in Maltese's Election Law Challenge send Maryann an email.