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Sen. Vyhovsky: H.626 expands criminal and civil remedies for image-based abuse and sextortion
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Summary
Sen. Vyhovsky said H.626 updates Vermont law to address video voyeurism, nonconsensual disclosure of explicit images, and sextortion; it extends statutes of limitations to 40 years, adds penalty enhancements (including for victims under 18), and creates civil remedies for victims; the Senate proposed the committee amendment and ordered third reading.
Sen. Vyhovsky, the senator from Chittenden Central, told the Senate that H.626 is intended to update state law to reflect technological changes and the harms of image‑based abuse.
"Image-based abuse includes the creation of distribution of or threat to share explicit images of a person without their consent," Vyhovsky said, describing three categories the bill addresses: video voyeurism, nonconsensual disclosure of explicit images (including AI‑generated imagery), and sextortion.
The bill creates a distinct subsection for video voyeurism and allows longer statutes of limitations for crimes and civil claims related to recordings and disclosures; Vyhovsky said the committee extended the statute of limitations to 40 years to reflect the reality that victims often do not discover images until years later. The measure also includes penalty enhancements when the victim is under 18 and expands civil remedies to permit victims to sue perpetrators.
Vyhovsky said the committee heard testimony from survivors, domestic‑violence advocates, law‑enforcement officials and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and that the committee voted 5–0–0 to advance the bill. The Senate proposed to the House the committee's amendment (including the enhanced penalty for under‑18 victims) and ordered the bill to third reading.
Supporters framed the bill as bringing statutes in line with modern technology and giving victims avenues for justice; the floor action recorded the committee report and the Senate's agreement to propose the committee amendment to the House.
