Delaware County Review

The Ohio General Assembly has unanimously approved House Bill 531, known as Braden's Law. The legislation, sponsored by Representatives Beth Lear (R-Galena) and Brian Lorenz (R-Powell), will now proceed to the governor for final approval.

Braden's Law is named in memory of Braden Markus, a student from Olentangy High School who was coerced into sharing inappropriate images online. Following an extortion attempt demanding $1,800 under threat of public exposure of the photos, Markus tragically took his own life.

Representative Lorenz expressed a personal connection to his constituents, stating: "My constituents are like family to me. When I legislate, I approach it as if I’m making decisions for my own family. Braden’s Law is no different." He emphasized the importance of preventing similar incidents in Ohio families and praised the legislative process that led to the bill's passage.

The new law defines sextortion as a criminal offense involving threats to release private images for financial gain. It classifies this crime as a third-degree felony but elevates it to a first-degree felony if victims are minors, elderly, or disabled. The law also covers coercion into unwanted acts or obtaining further images or valuables through intimidation.

Additionally, Braden's Law mandates expedited court reviews for digital access requests made by parents or guardians of deceased minors and removes liability from cell phone carriers when cooperating with victim families.

Representative Lear highlighted the significance of this legislative move: “House Bill 531 represents a critical step forward in our efforts to combat sextortion and protect our citizens, especially the most vulnerable."

The bill awaits consideration by the Governor.