On Dec. 8, Assembly Bill 201, also known as Bradyn’s Law was officially signed into law.
Bradyn’s Law establishes sexual extortion as a new crime and imposes severe penalties on perpetrators. This legislation was inspired by the death of D.C. Everest High School student Bradyn Bohn, who took his own life after being targeted by an organized sexual extortion ring.
“Losing a child to relentless and heartless online predators is a pain no parent should suffer,” said Rep. Brent Jacobson (R-Mosinee), the second author of AB 201. “While no legislation can undo the harm done to Bradyn, his family and our community, Bradyn’s Law will prevent future tragedies and sends a clear message that online extortionists should think twice before targeting Wisconsinites.”
Sexual extortion, or “sextortion” involves a perpetrator soliciting explicit images from a victim, frequently a teenage boy. Once those images have been procured, they are used to blackmail the victim into paying the perpetrator or sending further explicit images.
Under Bradyn’s Law, a person who attempts to commit sextortion is guilty of a Class I felony. If the victim is a minor, this is increased to a Class G felony. If the victim dies as a result of the sextortion, the perpetrator can be charged with a Class B felony, carrying a sentence of up to 60 years in prison.
“This bill is just the first step to protecting vulnerable Wisconsinites from exploitation,” Jacobson said. “As technology creates new avenues for exploitation, my colleagues and I have an obligation to make sure our laws protect our constituents and that Wisconsin parents have the resources and awareness to keep their children safe from harm. We must continue to come together to prevent these heinous crimes from claiming children in our state.”
