Madison Man Charged with Violating Recently Enacted Law

Published on August 25, 2017

The Huntsville Police Department’s Special Victim’s Unit charged Matthew Reyes, 27 of Madison, with a newly enacted state law, Distribution of a Private Message.

Investigators charged Reyes after he posted pictures of the victim online without their consent.  Investigators determined that Reyes posted the pictures in an attempt to harass the victim which is a violation of the recently enacted state law.

The law was enacted on August 1, 2017, as part of Act 2017-414.  The portion of the law which Reyes was charged with reads in part as follows:

Distribution of a Private Image occurs when:

• A person knowingly distributes a private image with the intent to harass, threaten, coerce, or intimidate the person depicted;

• The person depicted did not consent to the transmission;

• The person depicted had a reasonable expectation of privacy.