BARRINGTON – In the 98th General Assembly session just before State Rep. Nick Sauer was elected to represent Illinois 51st House District, Governor Pat Quinn signed into law a stiff "revenge porn law," making it a Class 4 felony to disseminate private sexual images without consent. The punishment is one to three years in prison, with a $25,000 fine.
According to POLITICO Wednesday, 35-year-old Sauer is being accused by an ex-girlfriend of setting up a fake Instagram account, pretending to be her, and sharing with men nude photos she had sent to Sauer while they were dating.
UPDATE X1: Republican House Leader Jim Durkin says Rep. Sauer will be resigning sometime Wednesday.
According to the complaint filed by ex-girlfriend Kate Kelly with the Office of the Legislative Inspector General and obtained by POLITICO, Sauer used the Instagram account “to catfish other men using my privately shared naked photos. Nick would use this account to direct message men with my photos to engage in graphic conversations of a sexual nature. The men believed they were communicating with me and Nick shared private details of my life.”
Neither the Chicago Police nor the Legislative Inspector General have confirmed investigations being launched into Kelly's allegations, and Rep. Sauer has not yet publicly addressed the accusations.
Sauer, who is unmarried, hails from a comfortably Republican district and is seeking re-election. He does have both Democrat and Independent challengers in the upcoming election.
Only idiots let others take nude photos of them if they are not married.
This is another stupid PC law.
Obviously if they were taken without the person’s knowledge, that is a different matter and the purveyor should be prosecuted.
Taking nude selfies is a token of trust and intimacy in this strange new world, Frank. While it may seem idiotic to you, it’s fairly common among those dating. A state rep that is charged with looking out for his constituents, being entrusted with representing them and moving on up the political ladder should have more common sense and be aware of the heavy price doing something like this could cost him. While I wish she wouldn’t have sent the photos, I applaud her calling him on it.
Denny Hastert was unavailable for comment.
It is still idiotic to anyone with common sense and common decency.
Those who do not understand that are a part of the problem.
As to the male involved, yes, he is a real creep.
Remember Laura Schlessinger the conservative talk show host. She did the same thing and tried to get them removed from the internet. But the courts rules against her. Not certain how this is different but would be interested in hearing rational and knowledgeable comments on this matter.
Frank,
I’ll make one comment on your point about idiocy. I know a few people in long distant relationships and marital relationships that job wise involve a great deal of travel. The thing that keeps them from straying is the adult exchanges they are able to maintain over the internet that involves live sessions, images, and telephone conversations, all of an intimate nature.
I get your point, but for some responsible adults in stable relationships it is not idiocy, it is a strategy to maintain fidelity.
Just something for you to consider. By the way I am talking about 50 something individuals. It is now fairly common among road warriors and their spouses. It is affectionate known as a spouse date or wife session. As in, I have to cut the dinner meeting short tonight, I have a spouse date at 8pm. Everyone knows what that means and it is excusable