STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – State Representative Pamela Carter announced today that House Bill 2666 has been signed into law, strengthening penalties for sexual extortion when adult offenders target Arizona teens online.

Under the new law, sexual extortion is upgraded from a class 3 felony to a class 2 felony when the offender is 18 years of age or older and knows or should have known the victim is 15, 16, or 17 years of age. The law also requires the sentence in those cases to be consecutive to any other sentence imposed for sexual extortion.

“Adults are using social media to trap teenagers, demand explicit images, then threaten to expose them unless they pay up or comply,” said Representative Pamela Carter. “That is predatory criminal conduct, and Arizona is done tolerating it. If you are an adult who sextorts a 15-, 16-, or 17-year-old, you will face a class 2 felony and consecutive prison time. No probation. No deals. No easy way out. We are putting predators on notice and putting teeth in the law.”

Current law remains in place for younger victims. If the victim is under 15 years of age, sexual extortion is already a class 2 felony punishable under Arizona’s dangerous crimes against children sentencing provisions.

HB 2666 was approved unanimously by the Arizona House and Senate.

Pamela Carter is a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives serving Legislative District 4 in Phoenix. Follow her on X at @PamelaCarter888