Content warning: This article contains mentions of suicide and sexual abuse.
Before adjourning for the season, the Wisconsin Assembly passed a bipartisan bill Feb. 17 that allows a victim of sextortion or their families to sue for damages. The bill awaits action in the Senate before they adjourn on March 19.
The legislation, first introduced on Jan. 28 by Rep. Brent Jacobson, R-Mosinee, passed the Assembly in a 95-1 vote. The bill would create a civil cause of action for victims of sextortion and their families to receive compensation, including a wrongful death file — where a victim’s family can sue to recoup costs like medical bills and funeral expenses.
Sextortion is a crime where adults coerce minors into sending explicit images, threaten to release them online and blackmail them for money, according to the FBI. The FBI reported nearly 55,000 cases of sextortion related crimes across the country and financial losses totaling $33.5 million in 2024.
The bill is connected to Bradyn's Law, which legislators passed last year in honor of a 15-year-old Bradyn Bohn who committed suicide after falling victim to sextortion and committing suicide on March 5, 2025.
Bradyn’s Law was introduced by Republican legislators to make sextortion a standalone crime in Wisconsin about a month after Bohn’s death. It would allow the state to charge a perpetrator with a class B felony and sentence them up to 15 years in prison, plus the underlying sentence, if a victim of sextortion dies by suicide.
In Wisconsin, the rate of sextortion crimes has increased since state agencies began collecting data in 2023. In 2025, the state counted 650 cases, and if current rates this year continue, officials expect to possibly reach 850 sextortion cases by 2026.
Jacobson fought for larger penalties for perpetrators, saying signing this bill hit close to home for him as Bohn’s family lives in his district. Jacobson said he has gotten closer to the family after Bohn’s death and worked with them to get stricter laws passed.
“We’ve so far been very successful getting both Republicans and Democrats because this is not a Republican or Democrat issue. It’s really a child safety issue,” Jacobson told The Daily Cardinal.
Jacobson said a common misconception is that all sextortion perpetrators are overseas. While that was the case for Bohn, Jacobson said he wants to hold perpetrators accountable if possible.
“The hope is that if people are caught, it’s one more person off the street,” Jacobson said. “It also sends a strong message that Wisconsin’s taking it seriously.”
Jacobson said he spoke to bill cosponsor Sen. Jesse James, R-Thorp, who said he is confident the legislation will pass the Senate and reach the governor's desk before they adjourn in March.
Both lawmakers believe Gov. Tony Evers will “most certainly” sign the bill.
Jacobson said this is not the only sextortion bill he is working on, pointing to another bill introduced on Jan. 6 which would require schools to educate parents and students about the signs of sextortion.
