Anti-sextortion bills introduced in Michigan House of Representatives

Bills introduced in the Michigan House of Representatives could ban the use of sexual content for the purpose of blackmailing a person.

Extortion is already illegal in Michigan. But supporters of the package say prosecutors can currently only proceed piecemeal if they want to bring charges in these “sextortion” cases.

Rep. John Fitzgerald (D-Wyoming) said his bill would make it easier to hold people accountable.

“This is about revenge porn. It’s about forcing someone to do something against their will because of images they may have shared without knowing it would be used against them. This is what happens to young people,” Fitzgerald said.

Proponents of the package cite the case of an Upper Peninsula teenager who committed suicide after becoming the target of cybercrime as the reason for tightening Michigan’s laws.

The package provides for a prison sentence of five years for the first offence. If the victim is a minor, the prison sentence is 20 years.

Fitzgerald said it was about more than just preventing child abuse.

“We are increasing the penalties when this is done to someone under 18. But this applies to everyone. If someone is extorted in Michigan, no matter what age, we can now impose a very harsh penalty, which if it happens even once, is five years in prison,” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald says the bills were partly inspired by legislation in Ohio and Georgia.

He and another co-sponsor of the package, Rep. Jenn Hill (D-Marquette), highlight another part of the bill that would require schools to provide students and families with educational materials on the topic to take home.

Hill said it’s about adapting to changes in social media.

“For children who have grown up digitally, the idea of ​​sharing images online is completely natural. And now we need to ask them to think about boundaries or what is appropriate or inappropriate,” Hill said.

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security say they have received thousands of tips about sexual blackmail cases in recent years.