I got a sense of somebody being too close. It rocked my whole sense of security. Beginning Tuesday, Ohio law increases the penalties for secretly taking pictures up a woman's skirt or down her shirt. Most states have laws that prohibit taking pictures of people in places where people expect privacy, such as dressing rooms or restrooms. Ohio and California are the only two believed to ban specifically the practice of secretly filming someone under their clothing in public places for sexual gratification, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Similar legislation is pending in New York.
Supporters of these laws say the Internet has encouraged the filming of unsuspecting women. Several Web sites are devoted to the practice, posting images and telling high-tech Peeping Toms where to buy cameras. People take the pictures to fulfill a sexual desire or to make money by selling images to Web sites, said Christopher Browning, a sociology professor at Ohio State University who researches deviance and sexuality. California, where the law went into effect Jan. 1, has the same punishment. The man who photographed Bell, David Bartolucci, pleaded no contest to voyeurism and possession of criminal tools and was sentenced to eight months in jail.