Assemblyman James Conte reported that on March 17, legislation passed the Assembly by a vote of 143 to 0, creating the crime of unlawful (surreptitious) video surveillance, making it a felony. Included in the new legislation was the creation of the crime of dissemination of an unlawful surveillance. Similar legislation sponsored by Senator Marcellino has passed the Senate.

During debate on the floor, Conte praised the courage of 27-year-old Huntington resident Stephanie Fuller, who championed the cause after she learned she had been secretly videotaped in her apartment. The landlord who perpetrated the "visual rape," which is the way Fuller described the invasion of privacy, could only be charged with criminal trespass, a misdemeanor, and received a minimal fine.

Conte called upon leadership in both houses to convene conference committees and work out differences between the two pieces of legislation.

"This is common-sense legislation," Conte said. We need to send a clear message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated and that the punishment will fit the crime. More and more of these types of cases are being reported throughout New York and the country. It's a shame that similar legislation wasn't passed earlier, but at least now we're taking steps in the right direction."