Rep. Nancy Mace Files Bill To Crack Down On Revenge Porn And Deepfake Predators

(Washington, D.C., July 24, 2025) — Congresswoman Nancy Mace (SC-01) has introduced the Responding to Exploitation and Sharing of Private Explicit Content and Threats (RESPECT) Act, to enhance the TAKE IT DOWN Act, which President Trump signed into law on May 19, 2025, as part of his continued efforts to protect women. 

Building on the TAKE IT DOWN Act, this bill cracks down even harder on predators who share, or threaten to share, private explicit images, including both revenge porn and AI-generated deepfakes.

“For too long, predators have exploited technology to harass, threaten, and destroy lives, without facing real consequences,” said Congresswoman Mace. “President Trump drew the line when signing the TAKE IT DOWN Act. The RESPECT Act builds on his victory by making sure abusers don’t just get a warning, they get prison time.”

This bill is supported by State Representative Brandon Guffey, the driving force behind Gavin’s Law in South Carolina, named in memory of his late son Gavin Guffey, who tragically took his own life after being extorted online with private images. Representative Guffey was instrumental in the 2023 passage of Gavin’s Law, and helped lay the groundwork for the national TAKE IT DOWN Act.

“I wholeheartedly support Congresswoman Nancy Mace’s RESPECT Act,” said State Representative Brandon Guffey. “The success of Gavin’s Law in South Carolina has shown the critical impact of addressing the threat to share private or explicit images. The RESPECT Act builds on that foundation by strengthening criminal penalties through the Take It Down Act and reinforcing the seriousness of these crimes. As parents, we understand the dangers our children face online, and this legislation is another powerful step toward protecting our most precious asset: our children.”

The RESPECT Act packs an even harder punch, amending the Communications Act of 1934 to impose no-excuse, enhanced criminal penalties for publishing or threatening to publish non-consensual intimate imagery and sexual content involving minors, and ensures predators are sent to prison for sentences which reflect the seriousness of these crimes.

Maximum Sentence Increases Under the RESPECT Act:

• Revenge Porn (Adult Victim): 2 years → 5 years

• Revenge Porn (Minor Victim): 3 years → 10 years

• Deepfake Exploitation (Adult Victim): 2 years → 5 years

• Deepfake Exploitation (Minor Victim): 3 years → 10 years

• Threat to Distribute Revenge Porn (Adult Victim): 2 years → 5 years

• Threat to Distribute Revenge Porn (Minor Victim): 3 years → 10 years

• Threat to Distribute Deepfake Content (Adult Victim): 18 months → 3 years

• Threat to Distribute Deepfake Content (Minor Victim): 30 months → 5 years

The bill not only reinforces the TAKE IT DOWN Act, which imposed criminal penalties on perpetrators and critical reporting and takedown deadlines for platforms, but delivers a bolder federal stance with stricter criminal consequences.

“No more slaps on the wrist. No more free passes,” adds Congresswoman Mace. “We’re putting predators exactly where they belong: behind bars.”

With strong support and momentum from President Trump’s original law, the RESPECT Act has been referred to committee for further consideration, promising even stronger protection for survivors of digital sexual exploitation.

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