Nancy Mace unveils bill to crack down on 'peeping Tom' harassment
FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., is unveiling a new bill that would expand federal penalties for video voyeurism, the act of recording someone who is naked or engaged in intimate activity without their consent or knowledge.
Video voyeurism is currently a misdemeanor offense punishable by up to a year in prison and potentially hefty fines. The crime is also currently subject to state laws in places where they existed before the federal statute was passed.
In an interview with Fox News Digital this week, Mace warned that existing voyeurism laws, such as those in her state, are inadequate and called for the federal government to play a more active role in prosecuting the crime.
Her bill's text also includes language aimed at cracking down on interstate transportation and the sale of intimate photos and videos taken without a person’s consent.
"We can do better as a government to look out for victims, and it's not just about women, it could be men that are victims as well. We see stories about this all the time these days, it feels like. People just feel like they have a right to film you naked or changing or in intimate moments without your knowledge or consent," Mace told Fox News Digital.
"That's not OK. And the people that do this, they need to go to jail, and they need to go to jail for a long time," she added.
In her state, being found guilty of voyeurism is a misdemeanor for the first offense, punishable by up to three years in prison and a maximum fine of $500. A subsequent offense is classified as a felony and carries up to five years in prison and a maximum $5,000 fine.
Mace said she has heard harrowing experiences from people right in her South Carolina district.
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"I have met women in my district that have had similar things happen to them where they are filmed without their knowledge, without their consent, and hearing the stories of these women – it happens more frequently than we realize. It's painful for them," Mace said.
"They're fearful. The consequences are pretty weak at the state and federal level. They just don't feel like they have a way to get justice. And I want these women to know that, yes, we are going to get them justice in any way, shape, or form that we can."