Amid a national push to punish jilted lovers and others who distribute racy photos, NFL linebacker Jermaine Cunningham will be the most recognizable defendant yet to face “revenge porn” charges when he appears in court Wednesday.
The decade-old New Jersey law being used to prosecute Cunningham was the first of its kind in the country, and 16 more states have passed laws since, including 14 in the past two years. At least 10 additional legislatures are considering revenge porn laws.
Federal legislation is also expected to be introduced this year even as some detractors of the laws warn that advocates are overreaching into territory that could be protected as First Amendment expression.