COLUMBUS, Ohio — Braden’s Law has taken effect in Ohio. The law now categorizes sextortion as a third-degree felony, carrying a maximum penalty of up to 36 months in prison and a $10,000 fine.
If the victim is a minor, elderly, or disabled, the crime is elevated to a first-degree felony, punishable by up to eleven years in prison.
The legislation is named after Braden Markus, an Olentangy High School student who committed suicide in 2021 after falling victim to a sextortion scheme.
Following his death, it took the Markus family 10 months to gain access to his phone, which unveiled the details of the scheme.
In addition to criminal penalties, Braden’s Law requires social media companies to grant parents access to their deceased child’s phone and social media accounts within 30 days.
“This is a problem,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine stated. “This is a huge problem, and sometimes the results of this problem are gut-wrenching and horrible and tragic.”
During his tenure as Ohio’s lieutenant governor, U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, was an outspoken supporter of the law. He has encouraged parents to inform their children that they can talk to them if they become victims.
“Moms and dads, just make sure that your children know that they can come talk to you about anything and that these kinds of things happen,” Husted told me. “Everybody makes mistakes, but you’ve got to open that line of communication.”
