A person who willfully or maliciously damages, or causes to be damaged, any wire, cable, conduit, apparatus, or equipment of a company operating a cable television system, as defined in 30 V.S.A. § 501, or who commits any act with intent to cause damage to any wire, cable, conduit, apparatus, or equipment of a company operating such a system, or who taps, tampers with, or connects any wire or device to the equipment of the cable television company that would degrade the service rendered without authorization of the company may be fined not more than $100.00 and shall be liable in a civil action for three times the actual amount of damages sustained thereby. (Added 1971, No. 202 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. May 1, 1972.)