Antonio Giansante Garcia, a 39 year old computer professional, pled guilty today to providing accessibility of nude and sexually explicit photos to his ex-girlfriend’s employer, supervisors and fellow workers. The goal of such actions was to embarrass the victim before her professional associates.
In a search warrant filed in February 2015, the victim had indicated that she had left Giansante in 2012 “…due to his jealousy and possessiveness toward her”, stating that the relationship was “unhealthy”. During their long-term relationship, Giansante had taken a number of unconsented nude photographs and explicit videos. Coworkers, their husbands, and supervisors were all made aware of this material via ‘friend’ requests from fraudulent Facebook accounts set up by I.T. professional Giansante. The victim was a minor at the time the photos and video were taken which allowed a criminal prosecution to proceed. The status of Florida law in 2015 would not have allowed criminal prosecution in that year had these same actions occurred and the victim been an adult.
“Revenge Porn is a tool for a spurned former partner, spouse or lover to gain power and control over someone,” commented State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. “It is a means of breaking the will and destroying the reputation and self-image of someone the criminal claims to have loved. Mr. Giansante’s plan for dominance was spoiled by this victim’s courage in coming forward to prosecute this crime.”
State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle and a coalition of victim advocates were able to convince the Florida Legislature last year to enact legislation which now makes “revenge porn” a crime.
In a plea approved by the victim, Giansante will serve 30 days in the county jail and serve 5 years of reporting probation after pleading guilty 2 counts of Video Voyeurism, a third degree felony. Additionally, the defendant must inform his probation officer of any and all email and social media accounts to be used by him during the term of his probation, whether they are used for business or personal reasons and he read an apology letter written to the victim during his plea colloquy. Giansante was also ordered to donate $2,500 fines to the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative and Project Phoenix of Camillus House, a new facility intended to assist victims of human trafficking.
SOURCE: Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office
There are so many things wrong with this situation on all levels…absolutely disgusting and a breach of trust on someone who you expected to be loyal. I personally do not think the punishment is severe enough with all of the emotional distress he inflicted on his ex.
Also, totally off the topic, if people are to take such photos in the boudoire, one has to go back to the old school days of SLR’s where you can visibly destroy the only proof. Any photos taken with a cell or digital camera have easy access to the infamous cloud..