Pro Tem Treat Comments on Passage of Legislation to Strengthen Sextortion Laws

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, today released the following statement after Senate Bill 1479 passed off the Senate floor 45-0.

The legislation strengthens the state’s sextortion laws by upping the prison term of individuals disseminating images of people in a sexual act without consent up to 10 years.

“This type of harassment and bullying should not be tolerated,” Pro Tem Treat said. “Currently, the penalties don’t go far enough to deter and punish individuals who have pictures or videos of others in these types of vulnerable positions. This bill will crack down on those who try to extort or harass others. These type of acts have led to people either paying extortion fees to criminals or worse, has led to mental health issues and in some cases suicide. This bill will save lives and better protect Oklahomans.

According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, Sextortion is when an online predator tricks someone into giving them nude images or videos, and then demands money, more images, or makes other demands—threatening to share the images with the victim's friends and family if they don't comply.

The legislation now heads to the Oklahoma House of Representatives for consideration, where Pro Tem Treat has been working with Rep. Toni Hasenbeck to address the issue.