Oregon is joining Kentucky, Florida, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania—US states that are making it a crime to "upskirt" or take photos up a woman's dress without consent.
The Oregon Senate on Tuesday unanimously passed legislation making upskirting punishable by up to a year in jail with fines as high as $6,250. The measure has already passed the House, but it must return there for a procedural vote, where it will then go to the governor for an expected signing.
The Senate's action comes three months after a 61-year-old Oregon man was acquitted of taking photos with his mobile phone up the skirt of a 13-year-old girl at a Target store in suburban Portland. Washington County Circuit Court Judge Eric Butterfield said defendant Patrick Buono did not break any Oregon privacy laws when taking the pictures because the girl was clothed and in a public place.
Here is a snippet of Oregon's House Bill 2596:
(c)(A)The person knowingly makes or records a photograph, motion picture, videotape or other visual recording of another person’s intimate area without the consent of the person being recorded; and (B) The person being recorded has a reasonable expectation of privacy concerning the intimate area. (2) As used in this section: (a) "Intimate area" means nudity, or undergarments that are being worn by a person and are covered by clothing.
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