US EditionMinnesota House passes bill to increase ‘sextortion’ penalties
The measure would raise penalties to 15 years in prison if sextortion substantially contributes to a victim’s death, lawmakers said.
- On Monday, April 20, the Minnesota House unanimously passed HF2358, known as "Carter's Law," to toughen penalties for sextortion, named after 16-year-old Carter Bremseth who died by suicide in 2021.
- Authored by Rep. Scott Van Binsbergen, the legislation addresses the online blackmail crime that victimized Bremseth; Van Binsbergen noted the teen was coerced via Instagram within a 24-hour window to send photos.
- The bill establishes penalties of up to 15 years in prison and $30,000 in fines if the offense contributes to a victim's death, or 10 years and $20,000 for great bodily harm, addressing gaps in current law.
- Sen. Andrew Lang added the measure to the Senate's omnibus public safety bill, expected to pass on Tuesday; Lang stated, "No law, no matter how strong, can bring Carter back."
- Data shows the crime is increasing, with 456,000 online enticement incidents reported in 2024 alone; FBI and Homeland Security Investigations documented more than 13,000 cases of financial sextortion involving minors from October 2021 to March 2023.
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Grand Forks Herald
Pine and Lakes Echo JournalMinnesota House, Senate pass bills to increase ‘sextortion’ penalties
ST. PAUL — Data shows teens are increasingly falling victim to “sextortion,” a form of digitial blackmail, and Minnesota lawmakers are cracking down on it. The bill, HF2358, unanimously passed the House on Monday, April 20, and was added as an amendment to the Senate’s omnibus public safety bill, which passed the Senate on Tuesday. The effort was brought forward after the 2021 suicide of 16-year-old Carter Bremseth in Olivia after he became the …
Duluth News Tribune
Minnesota House passes bill to increase ‘sextortion’ penalties
ST. PAUL — Data shows teens are increasingly falling victim to “sextortion,” a form of digitial blackmail, and Minnesota lawmakers are cracking down on it. The bill, HF2358, unanimously passed the House on Monday, April 20, and was added as an amendment to the Senate’s omnibus public safety bill, which is likely to pass the Senate on Tuesday. It was brought forward after the 2021 suicide of 16-year-old Carter Bremseth in Olivia after he became t…
Bill enhancing penalties for coercion passed the state House unanimously Monday
A bill that enhances penalties for coercion passed the House unanimously Monday. The bill is called Carter's Law, after Carter Bremseth. He was a 16-year-old from Olivia, Minnesota. Carter died by suicide after a scammer pressured him to send nude photos and then extorted him. Meanwhile, nursing home workers at five metro-area homes launched a three-day unfair labor practices strike Monday.
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