Bianca Devins: Assembly passes bill to make it a crime to share photos without permission

H. Rose Schneider, Observer-Dispatch
·1 min read

A bill to crack down on sharing personal images online without permission has passed the New York state Assembly, according to an announcement Tuesday from its sponsor, Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon, D-Marcy.

The bill was written in response to graphic images shared online of the death of 17-year-old Bianca Devins in July 2019 in Utica.

The Utica teenager already had an online presence when she was killed by then 21-year-old Brandon Clark, who would later plead guilty to stabbing her to death and posting photos of her body online. But the images shared on social media brought widespread attention to her death. Her family would later describe receiving these images from harassers.

Frank Williams, Bianca Devins' maternal grandfather, speaks at the announcement of Bianca's Law hosted by U.S. Rep. Anthony Brindisi, D-Utica, on Monday, Sept. 21, 2020, at Roscoe Conkling Park.
Frank Williams, Bianca Devins' maternal grandfather, speaks at the announcement of Bianca's Law hosted by U.S. Rep. Anthony Brindisi, D-Utica, on Monday, Sept. 21, 2020, at Roscoe Conkling Park.

More: Murder victim Bianca Devins' mother wants state Senate to vote for justice for her daughter

More: Brindisi: Bianca’s Law would impose new social media regulations

"Her tragic death was exploited for likes and follows after her attacker posted pictures of her body to various social media sites," Buttenschon said in a statement. "Nobody should ever have to endure a trauma like this."

Bianca Devins
Bianca Devins

Since then, members of the Devins family have pushed for legislation to address the sharing of graphic images at both the state and federal levels.

The state bill passed the Assembly on Tuesday with only two "no" votes, according to Assembly records. If it becomes law, it would create the crimes of unlawful dissemination of a personal image in the first and second degrees, both misdemeanors.

The bill would also allow victims to privately sue for unlawful sharing of personal images.

More: 'Today we utter his name for the last time': Man sentenced for murder of Bianca Devins

More: Family of Bianca Devins files suit alleging DA shared videos of teen's death with media

H. Rose Schneider covers public safety, breaking and trending news for the Observer-Dispatch. Email Rose at hschneider@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Bianca Devins: Bill passes Assembly after grisly photos shared of teen