By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today
Among the many pieces of legislation passed by the General Assembly this year which will take effect on June 27 is one sponsored by Sen. Julie Raque Adams, R-Louisville, that makes sexual extortion, or “sextortion” as it’s often called, a separate crime.
The law, created with the passage of Senate Bill 73, defines sexual extortion as using threats—such as exposure, violence, or reputational harm—to coerce someone into providing sexual images, engaging in sexual acts, or giving money or something of value. The offense can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the severity of the harm to the victim and factors such as the use of threats, prior offenses, the victim’s age, or abuse of authority.
Those convicted of felonies under the statute will be added to the state’s sex offender registry. The law also allows victims or their families to seek civil damages, legal fees, and court costs.
“The FBI reports sexual extortion is the fastest-growing crime against children,” said Sen. Julie Raque Adams (R-Louisville) when presenting Senate Bill 73 to the Kentucky Senate in February. “It is calculated, it is cruel, and it thrives on fear and silence.”
The FBI received over 54,000 sextortion-related reports in 2024, up from 34,000 the previous year – a 30 percent increase in just six months. Financial losses from these schemes have totaled nearly $65 million over the past two years, and more than 20 teens have died by suicide after being targeted. Most cases involve financially motivated schemes aimed at boys aged 14 to 17.
The new law lets young victims know that they don’t have to suffer in silence, outlining how schools must provide age-appropriate information to students and parents each year, and post signs in school buildings with details on how to report sextortion and where to seek support, including the national suicide prevention hotline.
The effort to pass anti-sextortion legislation started gaining momentum in Kentucky when Teena Halbig, a member of the state’s Human Trafficking Task Force Prevention and Education Committee, formed the Kentucky Sextortion Coalition. The group spent two years advocating for the measure before the new law was approved.
“I initiated this legislation in 2024 because it will save lives,” Halbig stated, adding that coalition members worked together to strengthen the final bill.
You can read the new law here at apps.legislature.ky.gov/sb73.