A bill targeting adults who use the internet to sexually extort teenagers cleared the Arizona House this week, moving the state one step closer to harsher punishments for a crime that lawmakers say is becoming increasingly common among young people.
House Bill 2666, sponsored by State Representative Pamela Carter (R-AZ), passed with bipartisan support and now heads to the Arizona Senate for consideration.
The legislation addresses a specific and growing threat: adults who pressure minors into sending explicit images online, then use those images as leverage to demand money or more content.
Rep. Carter said platforms such as Instagram and Discord have become hunting grounds for predators who understand exactly how to manipulate teenagers.
"This is exploitation, plain and simple,” she emphasized.
Under current Arizona law, sexual extortion is classified as a class 3 felony. HB 2666 would increase that charge to a class 2 felony, specifically when the offender is 18 or older and knew, or reasonably should have known, that the victim was between 15 and 17 years old.
It is worth noting that Arizona law already treats sexual extortion involving victims under 15 as a class 2 felony under the state's dangerous crimes against children statutes; however, HB 2666 focuses on extending stronger protections to slightly older teens who currently fall into a gap in the law.
The bill also requires that any sentence in those cases run consecutively with any other related sentences, closing off the possibility of serving time simultaneously.
Carter was direct about what she wants the consequences to look like for anyone convicted under the new standard.
"If you prey on teens for money or sexual favors, you should face a class 2 felony and mandatory consecutive prison time," she said. "No probation. No shortcuts. No easy way out."
The bill now awaits a Senate vote before it can be sent to Governor Katie Hobbs (D-AZ).
