TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida State Sen. Lauren Book was sexually abused as a child for years by her nanny.
She channeled the pain into a lifetime of helping other abuse survivors. Now she's been victimized again, and she's taking action as only a legislator can.
She told The Associated Press that a teenager tried to extort her months ago by threatening to reveal nude photos that were stolen from her.
She learned that the images had been bought and traded online for nearly two years.
“I hate that this happened to me,” Book told The Associated Press. “I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. But I’ll take it, because I know that I can do something about it.”
According to CBS Miami, the 19-year-old accused of threatening to release the Democrat's pictures was charged with cyberstalking and extortion.
Her bill to toughen Florida laws in hopes of preventing other victims was unanimously approved Tuesday by the Senate Criminal Justice Committee.
If the bill passes, it would be a felony to steal sexually explicit images from a person's digital device.
