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Committee backs coercion and sextortion updates after testimony about rising online threats to teens
Utah Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee · February 24, 2026
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Summary
HB 221 would create new criminal offenses for repeated online encouragement of suicide and strengthen sextortion and extortion penalties. Committee members and victim-service groups supported the bill and it was favorably recommended.
The committee voted to favorably recommend the second substitute of HB 221, a measure that expands the criminal code to address modern online coercion tactics including sextortion and repeated encouragement of suicide. Representative Wilcox said task-force data show a substantial rise in sextortion…
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