Wisconsin takes a firm stand against sextortion with Bradyn’s Law

Over the past week, Wisconsin lawmakers finalized several pieces of legislation aimed at strengthening public safety and protecting vulnerable populations. Among them is one law drawing national attention for how directly it confronts a growing and deeply troubling crime: online sexual extortion, often referred to as “sextortion.”

State Sen. Mary Felzkowski says she was proud to vote for these measures on the Senate floor, including 2025 Wisconsin Act 48—known as Bradyn’s Law—which creates a new criminal offense, increases penalties when harm escalates, and expands support for victims and families affected by sextortion schemes.

For families across the country navigating the realities of a digital-first world, the law reflects a broader shift in how states are beginning to treat online exploitation: not as an abstract internet problem, but as a serious crime with real-world consequences.

Creating a clear crime for a modern threat

Bradyn’s Law formally establishes sexual extortion as a distinct criminal offense under Wisconsin law. The statute addresses situations where an individual threatens harm—whether to a person’s reputation, safety, or privacy—in order to coerce sexual conduct, the creation of intimate images, or the transfer of money, property, services, or anything of value.

The law recognizes that sextortion often relies on fear rather than force, and that threats alone can cause profound psychological harm. By defining sexual extortion clearly in statute, Wisconsin removes ambiguity for law enforcement and prosecutors and ensures the behavior is treated as criminal conduct in its own right.

This clarity is especially significant given the nature of sextortion cases, which frequently cross state and even international boundaries. Wisconsin’s approach provides a framework other states can examine as they update laws written long before today’s digital realities.

Graduated penalties based on harm and circumstances

Bradyn’s Law does not take a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, it establishes a tiered penalty structure that increases accountability when the harm caused by sextortion deepens.

Under the law, sexual extortion is generally classified as a felony. Penalties escalate if the victim is coerced into sexual conduct, produces intimate images, provides payment or other value, or suffers great bodily harm. Additional factors—such as age differences involving minors, prior qualifying offenses, or conduct occurring during a child abduction—further increase the severity of charges.

This structure reflects an understanding that sextortion is not a static offense. The damage compounds when coercion succeeds, and the law responds accordingly.

Felony murder charges when sextortion contributes to a death

One of the most consequential provisions of Bradyn’s Law addresses the gravest outcome imaginable.

The law allows prosecutors to pursue felony murder charges when extortion or sexual extortion is a substantial factor leading to a victim’s death. This explicitly recognizes that coercive online conduct can have fatal consequences and that responsibility does not end simply because the harm was psychological rather than physical.

By integrating sexual extortion into Wisconsin’s felony murder framework, lawmakers have drawn a clear line: when criminal coercion sets in motion events that lead to a loss of life, the justice system will treat that outcome with the full seriousness it deserves.

Expanded support for victims and families

Bradyn’s Law also strengthens support for victims and families by expanding eligibility for Wisconsin’s crime victim compensation fund.

Under the law, victims of extortion or sexual extortion—and their family members—may be eligible for compensation when injury or death results from the crime. Importantly, the statute allows compensation when suicide or attempted suicide is found to be substantially caused by the criminal conduct.

This provision acknowledges a painful reality: sextortion often isolates victims, traps them in fear, and creates emotional pressure that can feel inescapable. The law does not place blame on victims for how they respond to trauma. Instead, it affirms that harm caused by criminal coercion deserves recognition and support.

The human story behind the legislation

Bradyn’s Law is named for Bradyn Bohn, a Wisconsin teenager who died by suicide after becoming a victim of sextortion. His family’s advocacy played a central role in bringing attention to the issue and pushing for legislative change.

Since his death, Bradyn’s family has worked to educate schools and communities about online safety and the warning signs of sextortion. While the law does not reach perpetrators outside the United States, the family views it as a critical first step in preventing future tragedies and ensuring that victims know they are not alone.

Their message is one lawmakers across the country are beginning to hear: education, accountability, and clear legal consequences must work together if lives are to be protected.

Why this matters beyond Wisconsin

Sen. Felzkowski’s support for Bradyn’s Law underscores a broader reality: state legislatures are often where digital-age protections take shape first. While national conversations continue about online safety and platform responsibility, states are updating criminal codes to reflect what families are experiencing right now.

For parents, educators, and policymakers nationwide, Wisconsin’s action raises an important question: does your state’s law clearly recognize sextortion, penalize it appropriately, and support victims when the unthinkable happens?

Bradyn’s Law does not claim to solve every aspect of online exploitation. But it sends a powerful message—that threats delivered through a screen are no less serious than those delivered face to face, and that coercion, fear, and manipulation have consequences under the law.