Double the criminal penalties for sextortion and intimate image-based abuse offenders
Petitioner:
Mr Caesar Boehme
| Member:
Cross, Matt
| No. of Signatories:
175
| Date closed:
23/03/2025
To the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly,
The penalties for image-based abuse offences under the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) are not harsh enough to punish perpetrators of this very serious intimate sexual abuse. Under s 91Q, the maximum penalty for a person who intentionally distributes an intimate image of another person without consent is 3 years imprisonment.
We, the undersigned petitioners, do not believe that this is enough of a penalty to punish and deter prospective offenders. Image-based abuse offences need to be serious indictable offences, which attract a maximum penalty of 6 years imprisonment, prompting Mac's father Wayne to call for stronger punishment for such cruel, heartless offenders.
Mac Holdsworth, a 17-year-old boy, took his own life in October 2023 after falling victim to a sextortion scam on social media. His guilty perpetrator was only sentenced to six months imprisonment in NSW with a non-parole period of three months.
By increasing the maximum penalty to imprisonment for 6 years in line with federal legislation on image-based abuse, NSW Parliament will be sending a strong message to offenders that they will be punished harshly for seriously violating the privacy of a young person, and they will go to jail- no ifs, no buts.
We call on the Legislative Assembly to legislate increased maximum penalties for image-based abuse offences by introducing a bill known as 'Mac's Law' in memory of Mac Holdsworth to ensure stronger punishment for perpetrators of cruel, heartless sextortion offences.
