Children targeted by blackmailers would be helped by proposed update to Kansas law 

Sen. Kellie Warren advocated for a bill that would tighten state blackmail laws to include children being pressured for sex or things like sharing homework. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

TOPEKA — Kansas will sharpen blackmail laws affecting children to include actions such as demanding that they stop participating in sports or hand over copies of homework if a bill that advanced in the Senate on Wednesday becomes law. 

House Bill 2594 expands Kansas blackmail statutes beyond the state’s Sexual Extortion Act, which means the compelled acts are sexual in nature, and beyond current blackmail laws, which only apply to individuals over age 18, said Sen. Kellie Warren, a Leawood Republican. 

“Imagine in Kansas, we actually have cases where people are blackmailing children — children under the age of 18 — and some examples are when children are threatened with dissemination of sexually explicit images unless they comply with harmful or coercive demands,” she said.

The bill, which advanced in the Senate with no discussion, closes the gap so that if the victim is under 18 years of age and a blackmailer makes demands, saying they will release video, photos or other items, it will be against the law, she said. 

Tabitha D.R. Owen, Smith County attorney, submitted written testimony saying the bill changes current blackmail laws, which specify the blackmailer is threatening to disseminate media obtained by breaching privacy and is only applicable to people over age 18. 

HB 2594 disconnects the law from the breach of privacy violations, she said. 

“I have seen personally and read of cases where children are threatened with the dissemination of sexually explicit media if they do not comply with heinous requests, including requests to injure another person or animal, performing acts of self-harm, sending money or gift cards, or seemingly simpler requests such as ‘Don’t break up with me,’ ‘Let me borrow your class notes,’ ‘Quit the sports team.’”

Michelle McCormick, executive director of the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence, said in bill testimony that the legislation is “long overdue” and brings the law in line with current technology. 

She said the bill expands law to cover blackmail “created, altered, or modified by artificial intelligence or any digital means.”

The bill passed the House on March 18 but will need approval again after the Senate made an amendment to change language.