Kentucky's Senate Bill 73, set to take effect next week, establishes a new law against 'Sextortion'
Kentucky's Senate Bill 73, effective June 27, 2025, aims to combat the rising issue of sextortion, a calculated and cruel crime that thrives on fear and silence. The new law, sponsored by Sen. Julie Raque Adams, makes sexual extortion a separate crime in Kentucky, carrying serious consequences for perpetrators.
The law criminalizes sextortion, focusing on threats that coerce sexual acts or submission. It mandates schools to educate students, starting from the 4th grade, with age-appropriate information about sexual extortion. Parents have the right to opt their children out of these educational conversations if they prefer to address the issue at home. Schools are also required to provide resources to parents and guardians to support and protect students from sextortion.
Sextortion is now a felony-level concern in Kentucky, increasing legal consequences for perpetrators. School districts must take active roles in education and prevention efforts, helping students recognize sextortion and encouraging reporting and blocking contacts if victimized. The law supports a community-involved approach, encouraging cooperation between schools, families, and law enforcement to address and reduce sexual extortion risks.
The Kentucky Sextortion Coalition, formed by Teena Halbig, a member of the state's Human Trafficking Task Force Prevention and Education Committee, spent two years advocating for the anti-sextortion legislation before it was approved. The coalition's efforts come in response to the growing concern over sextortion, with more than 20 teens reportedly dying by suicide after being targeted in sextortion cases.
Victims or their families can seek civil damages, legal fees, and court costs under the new law. 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.
Financial losses from sextortion schemes have totaled nearly $65 million over the past two years. The FBI received over 54,000 sextortion-related reports in 2024, a 30 percent increase from the previous year. To aid in reporting, schools in Kentucky are required to post signs in school buildings with details on how to report sextortion and where to seek support.
Those convicted of felonies under the statute will be added to the state's sex offender registry. The new law can be read at apps.legislature.ky.gov/sb73.
Most sextortion cases involve financially motivated schemes aimed at boys aged 14 to 17. The new law marks a significant step towards protecting Kentucky's youth by defining sexual extortion clearly under criminal law, imposing serious penalties, and mandating awareness and prevention programs in schools. This comprehensive approach seeks to reduce victimization and provide timely support for affected students.
- The new Kentucky law, effective in 2025, requires schools to provide education about sextortion, a rising crime, to students starting from the 4th grade, following the mandate in Senate Bill 73.
- Kentucky's legislation on sextortion also empowers parents to opt their children out of these educational conversations if they prefer to address the issue at home.
- The comprehensive approach in Kentucky's anti-sextortion policy includes school-based education, resources for parents, and cooperation between schools, families, and law enforcement to address and reduce the risks of sextortion.
