Press Room

Bill Increasing Penalties for Peeping Toms Signed into Law

Thursday, June 10 2010

(DENVER) – Governor Bill Ritter today signed Senator Evie Hudak’s (D-Arvada) and Representative Joe Rice's (D-Littleton) bill that strengthens Colorado’s peeping tom laws into law.

“Few things can make people feel more violated than when they find out someone was spying on them when they thought they were in a private place,” said Senator Hudak. "Peeping is a serious crime, and now it will have serious consequences. I'm proud of the work we have done to protect the public from these predators."

SB 128 prohibits watching someone or taking an image of someone, for sexual gratification and without their consent. It is now a crime to do so using "photography, motion picture, videotape, live feed, print, negative, slide, or other mechanically, electronically, or chemically produced or reproduced visual material."

The bill also increases the penalty for the crime of invasion of privacy for sexual gratification to a felony from a misdemeanor, if committed by someone who has previously been convicted of a sexual offense or if the victim is a child or a teen.

“The idea for this bill came from a peeping tom incident that happened in my district last year. A family on vacation was spied upon in their hotel room by a man in a neighboring room who was using video surveillance equipment. This is obviously a very serious issue, but the perpetrator could only be charged with a misdemeanor because Colorado laws had not kept up with changes in technology,” said Rep. Rice. “This bill establishes tougher standards for prosecuting voyeurs and strengthens Colorado’s peeping tom laws.” 

photo:  Rep. Joe Rice and his children look on as Gov. Ritter signs Senate Bill 128 into law.