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Legal Information: Minnesota

Statutes: Minnesota

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Updated: 
December 18, 2023

609.3458. Sexual extortion

Subdivision 1. Crime defined. (a) A person who engages in sexual contact with another person and compels the other person to submit to the contact by making any of the following threats, directly or indirectly, is guilty of sexual extortion:

(1) a threat to withhold or harm the complainant’s trade, business, profession, position, employment, or calling;

(2) a threat to make or cause to be made a criminal charge against the complainant, whether true or false;

(3) a threat to report the complainant’s immigration status to immigration or law enforcement authorities;

(4) a threat to disseminate private sexual images of the complainant as specified in section 617.261, nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images;

(5) a threat to expose information that the actor knows the complainant wishes to keep confidential; or

(6) a threat to withhold complainant’s housing, or to cause complainant a loss or disadvantage in the complainant’s housing, or a change in the cost of complainant’s housing.

(b) A person who engages in sexual penetration with another person and compels the other person to submit to such penetration by making any of the following threats, directly or indirectly, is guilty of sexual extortion:

(1) a threat to withhold or harm the complainant’s trade, business, profession, position, employment, or calling;

(2) a threat to make or cause to be made a criminal charge against the complainant, whether true or false;

(3) a threat to report the complainant’s immigration status to immigration or law enforcement authorities;

(4) a threat to disseminate private sexual images of the complainant as specified in section 617.261, nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images;

(5) a threat to expose information that the actor knows the complainant wishes to keep confidential; or

(6) a threat to withhold complainant’s housing, or to cause complainant a loss or disadvantage in the complainant’s housing, or a change in the cost of complainant’s housing.

Subd. 2. Penalty. (a) A person is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than ten years or to payment of a fine of not more than $20,000, or both, if the person violates subdivision 1, paragraph (a).

(b) A person is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 15 years or to payment of a fine of not more than $30,000, or both, if the person violates subdivision 1, paragraph (b).

(c) A person convicted under this section is also subject to conditional release under section 609.3455.Subd. 3. No attempt charge. Notwithstanding section 609.17, no person may be charged with or convicted of an attempt to commit a violation of this section.