Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz Gets Caught in Contradiction

Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz made waves last week when he proposed legislation that would criminalize revenge porn and child trafficking—two forms of very serious issues that have been making headlines across the country in recent years. But while his intentions may have been good,

the proposed bills, known as a Congressman the Intimate Privacy Protection Act and the No Human Trafficking on Our Roads Act, drew ire from citizens and even some of his fellow Republicans, who had not been told of the bills’ existence beforehand.

Does the congressman think revenge porn is real?

Recently, a bill to ban revenge porn was pulled by Florida Congressman Representative Matt Gaetz. The explanation given is that a broader law would be more appropriate. How can Representative Gaetz now say that revenge porn is bad while at the same time not doing anything about it?

Naked photos or videos of someone sent to harm, embarrass, or abuse them without their consent – that’s what revenge porn is all about. And this current bill would only have protected those who have been hacked and had their privacy breached.

Do you think these laws are necessary? What should happen next with the legislation on this issue? What other positions has Representative Gaetz taken and which of these conflicts with his stance on revenge porn?

What does he think about child trafficking laws?

Gaetz is the lead sponsor of a proposed House bill that would criminalize revenge porn and provide victims with the ability to sue their attackers. But when it comes to stopping child trafficking, Gaetz seems less certain. Earlier this year,

he voted against a bill (HR1837) that would have given DHS authority to seize child sex  in Congressman trafficking websites or other online locations used for minors. The lawmaker even gave an impassioned speech as to why he felt HR1837 was unconstitutional, and how it would give the government too much power.

Is he for trolling or against it?

This should make for an interesting meeting of the minds. Here is a man who allegedly cares about children but did not vote to keep children from being trafficked online. Huh!

What do you think he will say when I mention that his stance on revenge porn is also contrary to child trafficking?

His justification was something about search engine optimization, I will have to see if he can explain it better or has a coherent argument at all. You know what they say, if you want something done right, then you have to do it yourself.

What could have happened during his town hall meetings?

During his town hall meetings, people asked him about revenge porn and child trafficking laws. He seemed surprised to hear that it was still legal. A reporter quickly showed him that Florida Congressman  had passed the first law making revenge porn illegal and he agreed with the passage of the law.

When asked if he would pass this federal legislation, he said that he would talk to his colleagues in congress and support it. His response to child trafficking laws was less clear-cut but was generally positive about the idea.

Why did he say all sorts of things on TV?

On TV, Rep. Gaetz’s said he was on board with one of the following:

o Opposing revenge porn and child trafficking laws that make it a crime to transmit sexual images without the consent of those pictured in them.

o Supporting a law to prevent children from being shown sexual content online. o Being fine with an age limit for porn consumption so that people younger than 18 would be protected. o

Saying he was fine with an age limit for consuming porn to protect those under 18 years old.

The only problem is, while two of these stances were framed as pro-child, not one mention of protections for youth was made during his televised interview.

Why was he opposed to Human Trafficking legislation at first?

Under Florida  Congressman law, revenge porn is punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. But state law also forbids any kind of sexual contact between an adult and a minor (18 years old or younger). The crime is ranked as a second-degree felony. However,

if the defendant pays the victim $10,000 and completes five years of probation without incident, they will not face criminal charges. This means that if a person shares intimate photos of someone with someone else but has a payoff plan like what was mentioned above then there is no punishment under Florida Congressman Law.

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