22 The Queens Courier • OCTOBER 10, 2013 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com LEGISLATORS TAKE AIM AT ‘CYBER REVENGE’ BY MELISA CHAN mchan@queenscourier.com So-called “selfies” should be protected by law in New York, legislators across the state are demanding. Three bills aimed at criminalizing “revenge porn” — or the act of posting sexual photos of ex-partners online out of vengeance — will soon be introduced in the State Legislature. The proposed legislation comes on the heels of a new California law that makes disseminating naked photos of exes, without consent, a crime punishable by $1,000 and up to six months in jail. But New York lawmakers said there is a major loophole in California and New York protections: Photos victims take of themselves, known as selfies, are not covered. The growingly popular selftaken photos make up more than 80 percent of pictures published out of spite, according to State Senator Phil Boyle, who represents parts of Long Island and sponsors one bill. “Revenge porn can ruin a woman’s life, family and career,” Boyle said. “As the social media phenomenon grows, more and more women are being violated and exploited by their ex-boyfriends and husbands.” Victims could also be men, but Boyle said that is rarely the case. Selfies would be covered under Boyle’s bill and also under a separate law introduced by Assemblymember Ed Braunstein of Bayside and upstate Senator Joseph Griffo. Both bills would classify the crime as a Class A misdemeanor, which is typically coupled with a $1,000 fine and up to a year in prison. Braunstein and Griffo’s legislation comes with a harsher penalty of up to $30,000. Another piece of legislation being sponsored by Assemblymember Francisco Moya of Jackson Heights is even more strict and would make the crime a Class E felony, which can come with a four-year prison sentence. Barring those who voluntarily expose themselves in public or on the Internet, the law “doesn’t leave any victims out,” said Dave Fischer, a spokesperson for Braunstein. The lawmakers said the sexually explicit photos often make it to websites created by scorned lovers and include personal information like where the victims live and work. “Disseminating sexually explicit images that were shared with an expectation of privacy can cause lasting damage to victims and should be a crime,” Braunstein said. Griffo said the “so-called phenomena of cyber-revenge” has caused multiple lawsuits for privacy invasion. However, victims have “little or no legal recourse” when their private photos go viral, Boyle said. A second proposed Moya law would allow residents to obtain a court order requiring websites to take down images. None of the bills have been formally introduced yet in the Assembly or State Senate. Passage by Governor Andrew Cuomo would make New York the third state in the country, next to New Jersey and California, to have laws related to revenge porn. Photo by Robert Stridiron MAN CRUSHED BY FORKLIFT BY MELISA CHAN mchan@queenscourier.com A mechanic working inside a College Point warehouse was crushed and killed by a forklift last week, a police source said. The machine used for lifting heavy loads fell on top of the man, whose identity was not yet released, shortly before 11 a.m. on October 3, according to an NYPD spokesperson. The man suffered severe body trauma, authorities said, and was pronounced dead on scene at 28-00 College Point Boulevard. Nearby construction workers said about 20 warehouse employees are constantly seen moving forklifts in and out of the facility daily. “Accidents happen a lot when you’re dealing with heavy machinery,” said James Garabedian, a nearby iron worker. “But people getting pinned by a forklift – that usually doesn’t happen.” It was unclear which company ran the warehouse. A man who identified himself to police as being in charge of the warehouse declined to comment. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was on site investigating the incident. However, the federal administration could not be reached for comment due to the government shutdown. L & M TOURS PROVIDING RELIABLE SERVICE FOR OVER 14 YEARS! CALL FOR A FREE BROCHURE ONE DAY and MULTI-DAY TOURS! Scheduled Bus Trips All Year Round Over 250 tours to choose from: �� Cape May, Philadelphia & Newport �� Penn Dutch Amish Tour �� Maine, New Hampshire & Vermont �� Montreal, Quebec, Niagara Falls, 1000 Islands, Ottawa & Toronto �� Cooperstown, Lake George �� Cape Cod & Martha’s Vineyard �� Lobster & Crab Feasts �� Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland �� Casinos, Theatres & Shopping �� Sight & Sound Theatres �� Gettysburg, Montauk, Boston ��������������������������������������718-238-2284 6812 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11220 FIRST+MED IMMEDIATE MEDICAL CARE SINCE 1983 EVEN ON SUNDAY 2013 We now accept all BC/BS Plans, Aetna 1199, most Oxford, United Healthcare, HIP GHI and many others FIRST+MED-FLUSHING 191-20 Northern Blvd., Flushing, NY 11358 718-224-8855 Mon-Fri: 8am-9pm, Sat & Sun: 8am-7pm FIRST+MED-GLENDALE 82-17 Woodhaven Blvd.,Glendale, NY 11385 718-805-9581 Mon-Fri: 9am-7pm, Sat & Sun: 9am-3pm of the THE QUEENS QueensCourier.com URGENT CARE FOR CHILDREN & ADULTS BUMPS, SCRAPES, CUTS, BURNS YOU NAME IT! MEMBER URGENT CARE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
QC10102013
To see the actual publication please follow the link above