Texas could soon be among the first states to criminalize sending sexually explicit images — you know, dick pics — to uninterested adults.
The Texas House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill that would make it a class C misdemeanor to send unsolicited lewd photos to adults and impose fines of up to $500 on the sender.
House Bill 2789, sponsored by Rep. Morgan Meyer, R-Dallas, now goes to the Senate for deliberation.
Whitney Wolfe Herd, the founder of dating app Bumble, testified in favor of the measure. She told lawmakers a recent survey showed that a third of female users of her platform had received unrequested explicit images, according to Houston Public media.
“If indecent exposure is a crime on the streets, then why is it not on your phone or your computer?” Herd asked. “We want the standards of acceptable behavior online to match those in real life.”
Debate on the proposal in the Texas Senate could hit a little close to home.
Last year, a University of Texas grad student accused Texas Sen. Charles Schwertner of sending her sexually explicit text messages. A university investigation wrapped up in December after determining that the Georgetown Republican hadn't fully cooperated with the probe but that it was “plausible” a third party had sent the offending messages.
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Texas House Approves Bill That Would Make It a Crime to Text or Email Unsolicited Naughty Pics
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