Overview
- 2025 Wisconsin Act 48 establishes sexual extortion as a distinct crime, covering coercion for sexual images or favors and threats to share intimate content for money or services.
- Penalties increase when the victim is a minor and the perpetrator is more than four years older or when the extortion succeeds, and prosecutors may seek a murder conviction if sextortion contributes to a suicide.
- The law expands Wisconsin’s crime victim compensation program to include cases involving suicide or attempted suicide connected to a crime.
- Rock County’s district attorney says the statute takes effect immediately for new cases and classifies coercing a minor to send sexual images as a felony, though it does not apply retroactively.
- Signed in Weston with Bradyn Bohn’s parents present, the bipartisan law follows rising reports documented by the FBI and Wisconsin’s ICAC Task Force, with officials urging reports via Report.CyberTip.org, state channels, Speak Up, Speak Out, and the 988 Lifeline.