Former Rep. Katie Hill's father pushes for prosecution of 'evil' estranged husband

[Judi Lynn]

Source: ABC News

Former Rep. Katie Hill's father pushes for prosecution of 'evil' estranged husband
By MARK OSBORNE, LISA SIVERTSEN and ALYSSA ACQUAVELLA
Oct 29, 2019, 11:11 PM ET

The father of former Rep. Katie Hill, who stepped down this week after nude photos of her were leaked amid allegations of inappropriate sexual relations with a congressional staffer, attacked his daughter's estranged husband as "wicked" and "evil" on Tuesday.

"I have remained silent and watched as Katie and our entire family has had to endure the spectacle created when her estranged husband, sent 'revenge porn' to RedState and/or some other British tabloid," Michael Hill said in a statement given exclusively to ABC News. "The fact that Kenny Heslep would do such a thing is unfathomable and appalling, especially considering that they were together since Katie was in high school and this is a woman that he purportedly loved and cared about."

Heslep, the husband of the Democratic congresswoman from California, filed for divorce from Hill in July.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/rep-katie-hills-father-pushes-prosecution-evil-estranged/story?id=66625425

[Roy Rolling]

1. Too little, too late

Unfortunately, there are dozens of revenge porn cases. What made Katie Hill’s case special is that she is being extorted as a member of Congress.

By resigning, she is not a member of Congress, and becomes just another of the many victims unjustly ignored way too often as she slips back into obscurity.

Resigning to now grandstand on another issue is selfish. The people elected her, it isn’t her seat to reverse their decision.

[whistler162]

7. Separate issue..

If the ex did revenge porn, then they must prosecute him. If she had a sexual relationship with two staffers that is another issue. They may cross in the venn diagram of life but being the victim of revenge porn doesn't exonerate Rep. Hill from the judgement lapse that she had which is the cause of her resignation.

[UpInArms]

3. Nice piece of victim shaming, there, friend.

I have known some very charming sociopaths ... probably was raised by one, married one ... been pursued by several ... by then I was recognizing them earlier ... and have spent the rest of my life watching them in the ranks of our general society.

Superiority complex, much?

[LittleGirl]

4. WTF is wrong with you?

Why would you say that?

[Roy Rolling]

14. Yeah, ad hominem responses

Weak. The issue is, she resigned from Congress. She held an office entrusted to her by the voters. Instead of respecting their decision, she made it personal.

I say it because it separates the issue of revenge porn from her separate duties as a member of Congress.

I’m sick of Democrats resigning when attacked by Republican operatives. Anybody who doesn’t share that view doesn’t understand the stewardship that comes with public office.

Having been in public office, I do. And when I was attacked by Republican operatives I stood my ground—they had to mount an entire smear campaign to install their next sycophant in my place.

Make them pay a price at least for their actions, don’t give them a public office that is not yours to give away. It belongs to the voters.

Last thing, she knew of her actions from day-one. If she thought it disqualified herself from office she should have resigned then, not wait for a carefully executed smear campaign by her political enemies to remove her when THEY decide. She unwittingly did the work of Republicans for her.

[Midnight Writer]

5. Surely there is at least a civil option for legal action.

Of course, any action risks increasing the publicity.

[LuvNewcastle]

6. I can empathize with her, but everyone nowadays should know that

you shouldn't film or take pictures of sexually intimate moments. You will regret it, every time. If someone takes pictures of others in such private moments without the other's consent, that person should be liable for any damages caused by publication of those photos.

[Withywindle]

8. consensual photography isn't the problem. Consent violation IS

Even if you enjoy that, with trusted partners? If you consent to have nudes taken by a lover to share with them, then if they choose to use them against you poltically, somehow YOU'RE to blame? Millions of people nowadays do erotic photography since the means to do so have become so cheaply available.

Sharing those images WITHOUT CONSENT is a sexual violation.

Stop blaming the victim. Breaking consent is the crime.

[LuvNewcastle]

9. I'm not saying it's right, I'm just saying it's the reality.

Of course it's always wrong to publicize nude images without consent, but these things have a way of getting out and everyone should think about that possibility. What if someone else finds the images and releases them? You might be able to sue the person afterward, but the damage will be done and you'll just have to live with it. I'm just trying to encourage people to think seriously about this sort of thing before they do it. If they don't think it's that great of a risk or if they just don't care, that's fine by me.

[IronLionZion]

12. Consent is the problem in both cases

taking photos without consent is wrong
posting them online without consent is wrong
sharing it with tabloids without consent is wrong

[rainin]

21. Why do people have trouble seeing more than one argument.

Yes. It is wrong to share images without consent.

Here comes the second argument....

Yes. It is foolish and stupid to allow another person to take nude photos of you. (Without of signed contract with real consequences for violation.)

Two separate arguments.

When someone points out her foolishness, don't assume they aren't aware he was wrong to share them. Everyone agrees he was wrong to share them.

[bucolic_frolic]

10. Who owns the copyright?

or was that addressed in revenge porn legislation

[jberryhill]

27. The photographer

Absent a written assignment of rights or existing obligation to assign those rights, the copyright in a photograph is with the photographer.

[rainin]

11. Can we agree it's foolish, if not stupid to take nude photos?

Let's separate the arguments. I'm addressing one act - allowing someone to take nude photos. Stupid. Foolish. Don't.

You have to be ok, from the moment the picture is taken, for it to be on the front page of the NYT (or in this case, a right-wing rag).

This is no different than putting something online or sending a text. It is not safe. We need to be clear about that.

Obviously, this doesn't preclude shaming the man who shared the photos. He deserves consequences, whatever they may be.

But, be clear. It is foolish and stupid to allow someone to take nude photos, no matter how much you love them (now) or trust them (now) or think they would never hurt you (now). Get it?

Only a nondisclosure agreement (or a priests sacramental seal or a lawyers attorney client privilege) will protect your secret for life.

Let's be real about this. She was foolish and she lost. He was a shitty human being. She foolishly believed he would never act like a shitty human being.

[lostnfound]

13. His name is Kenny Heslep and they were married for 9 years, together since high school

What he did is barely one step better than stabbing her.

You know, a person is foolish for having knives in the house because you never know when your husband is going to stab you.

She did not plan to be a congresswoman. Maybe she didn’t care that the photos were a risk, because she could not have foreseen that it would lead to her resignation from office. Who cares about nudity — Melania is First Lady in spite of it. (Or technically maybe because of it.)

I can tell you this country is full of women who won’t run for office because they have manipulative self-centered spouses and/or a fear of vengeful ex-boyfriends.

[Javaman]

17. +1 nt

[rainin]

19. This humiliation doesn't just happen to Congresswoman. You're just hearing about it because

she's in Congress. And yes, she trusted him. She was young...and foolish.

You are making my point exactly. You just don't realize it.

Those "vengeful ex-boyfriends" or "self-centered spouses" looked safe in the beginning.

We must teach our girls to think ahead and protect themselves.

Let's be clear to our daughters that this is foolish and stupid. Let's tell our daughters that their future could be seriously affected by this.

Tell our daughters that just because this guy is her forever man -- DON'T take nude pictures because she can't know if this relationship will end. She gives him a lot of power when she gives him nude photos of herself.

[JaneQPublic]

18. In the age of cellphones and hidden security cameras...

...photos can be taken without the subject's permission or knowledge.

None of Rep. Hill's photos appeared to be selfies.

[rainin]

20. Do you have information that these pictures were taken without her knowledge? n/t

[JaneQPublic]

23. I responded generally to your remark "it's foolish, if not stupid to take nude photos"

In this day and age, the younger generations in particular always have a cellphone camera within reach and snap dozens of photos daily. It's not always possible to regulate when a picture is snapped, even in intimate settings.

I don't know whether she was aware all those pictures were being taken and I doubt you do, either.

In any case, it's wrong to blame the victim of revenge porn.

[rainin]

24. Whatever happened to, it takes two to tango?

Her foolishness put her in a vulnerable position. We have all been foolish. Someone took advantage of her foolishness. He is bad and wrong.

She was still foolish.

[JaneQPublic]

25. Sounds just like the blame put on rape victims. (nt)

[rainin]

28. Only if you call it blame.

It is wise to take certain safety precautions for anything you wish to protect: lock your house, lock your car, be careful traveling in unknown areas, heed travel warnings when traveling to foreign countries, carry your passport under your clothes in busy areas, don't give your credit card number to someone who calls you, guard your social security number,

and don't take nude photos.

Of course, the list is very long.

People who rape are rapists and should be prosecuted.
People who steal are thieves and should be prosecuted.

People who allow nude pictures to be taken of them are foolish. Don't do it. Just don't do it.

[lostnfound]

29. Foolish is another word for "trusting". "Bad and wrong" is a euphemism for abusive asshole.

Don’t be trusting, girls. Because guys can be abusive assholes.

Don’t be trusting, boys. Because girls can be abusive assholes.


No need to argue semantics, she’s been well punished for her “foolishness”. What’s done is done.

[Hugin]

15. The revenge porn is the single aspect of this whole episode that was both not consensual and illegal

I agree Harelip needs to definitely be taken to civil court and eventually criminal court along with anyone receiving the material for publication.

[TheBlackAdder]

16. Prosecution and Lifetime Alimony, since he damaged her career and income.

[Marcuse]

22. If the light is green, you have every right to walk into traffic. Doesn't mean it's a good idea.

[Eliot Rosewater]

26. DO NOT RESIGN