Kentucky Extortion Laws: Theft by Extortion, Coercion and Penalties

Blackmail is a crime in Kentucky, but the statute calls it theft by extortion. Under KRS 514.080, a person commits theft by extortion by intentionally obtaining property of another through one of six listed threats, and the offense is graded by value, from a Class B misdemeanor up to a Class C felony at $10,000 or more. Kentucky also has a separate criminal coercion offense (KRS 509.080) and, since June 27, 2025, a sexual extortion offense (KRS 531.125).

Information last verified on October 17, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Kentucky's theft by extortion (KRS 514.080), criminal coercion (KRS 509.080), sexual extortion (KRS 531.125) and its civil action (KRS 411.218), use of a minor in a sexual performance (KRS 531.310), criminal attempt (KRS 506.010) and the sentencing and fine sections in KRS 532.060, 532.090, 534.030 and 534.040. It does not cover what to do if you are being threatened or how to get images removed (see our sextortion scams guide), Kentucky's crimes for sharing intimate images (see revenge porn laws by state), federal offenses (covered on our extortion and blackmail laws by state hub), or local ordinances.

What is extortion in Kentucky?

Kentucky places extortion among its theft offenses. KRS 514.080(1) reads:

"A person is guilty of theft by extortion when he or she intentionally obtains property of another by threatening to: (a) Inflict bodily injury on anyone or commit any other criminal offense; or (b) Accuse anyone of a criminal offense; or (c) Expose any secret tending to subject any person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule, or to impair his or her credit or business repute; or (d) Use wrongfully his or her position as a public officer or servant or employee by performing some act within or related to his or her official duties, either expressed or implied, or by refusing or omitting to perform an official duty, either expressed or implied, in a manner affecting some person adversely; or (e) Bring about or continue a strike, boycott, or other collective unofficial action, if the property is not demanded or received for the benefit of the group in whose interest the actor purports to act; or (f) Testify or provide information or withhold testimony or information with respect to another's legal claim or defense."

The offense requires that the person "intentionally obtains property of another." Several paragraphs refer to "anyone" or "any person," so the threatened harm need not fall on the person who hands over the property.

Is blackmail a separate crime in Kentucky?

No. The Kentucky offenses covered here are named theft by extortion, criminal coercion and sexual extortion; none is named blackmail. Blackmail is the everyday word for conduct Kentucky charges under these statutes, most often the threat in 514.080(1)(c) to "Expose any secret tending to subject any person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule."

Kentucky extortion penalties

Unlike some states, Kentucky does not set one flat grade for extortion. KRS 514.080(3) grades it by the value of the property obtained, on a ladder written into the extortion section itself.

The ranges come from Kentucky's general sentencing and fine sections. KRS 532.060(2) sets felony terms "Unless otherwise provided by law": "For a Class C felony, not less than five (5) years nor more than ten (10) years; and (d) For a Class D felony, not less than one (1) year nor more than five (5) years." KRS 532.090 caps a Class A misdemeanor at twelve months and a Class B misdemeanor at ninety days. KRS 534.030(1), "Except as otherwise provided for an offense defined outside this code," sets a felony fine "not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) and not greater than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or double his gain from commission of the offense, whichever is the greater," and KRS 534.040(2) caps misdemeanor fines at $500 (Class A) and $250 (Class B). These are statutory ranges; they do not predict the sentence in any case.

Repeat convictions. Under 514.080(3)(c), theft by extortion is a Class D felony when "A person has three (3) or more convictions under paragraph (a) of this subsection within the last five (5) years." Paragraph (a) is the $500 to under $1,000 tier. The statute adds: "The five (5) year period shall be measured from the dates on which the offenses occurred for which the judgments of conviction were entered."

Aggregation. KRS 514.080(4) provides: "If any person commits two (2) or more separate offenses of theft by extortion within ninety (90) days, the offenses may be combined and treated as a single offense, and the value of the property in each offense may be aggregated for the purpose of determining the appropriate charge."

Kentucky's ordinary theft offenses have their own grading; our Kentucky theft laws page covers them.

Attempted extortion

KRS 506.010(4) sets the grade of a criminal attempt by the grade of the crime attempted. An attempt is a "Class A misdemeanor when the crime attempted is a Class C or D felony" and a "Class B misdemeanor when the crime attempted is a misdemeanor."

What kinds of threats count?

The six paragraphs of KRS 514.080(1) are the complete list for theft by extortion:

1. To inflict bodily injury on anyone or commit any other criminal offense.
2. To accuse anyone of a criminal offense.
3. To expose any secret tending to subject any person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule, or to impair his or her credit or business repute.
4. To use wrongfully a position as a public officer, servant or employee, by acting or refusing to act on official duties in a manner affecting some person adversely.
5. To bring about or continue a strike, boycott, or other collective unofficial action, if the property is not demanded or received for the benefit of the group in whose interest the actor purports to act.
6. To testify or provide information, or withhold testimony or information, with respect to another's legal claim or defense.

The criminal coercion list in KRS 509.080(1) is shorter: to commit any crime, accuse anyone of a crime, expose a secret tending to subject any person to hatred, contempt or ridicule or to impair another's credit or business repute, or take or withhold action as an official. Neither list names immigration status or intimate images; threats involving intimate images are covered by the sexual extortion statute below.

Is it extortion to threaten to report someone, sue, or expose them unless they pay?

A threat to accuse anyone of a crime (514.080(1)(b)) and a threat to expose a secret or impair credit or business repute (514.080(1)(c)) are on the theft by extortion list. KRS 514.080(2) then states:

"It is a defense to prosecution based on subsection (1)(b), (c), or (d) that the property obtained by threat of accusation, exposure, lawsuit, or other invocation of official action was claimed as restitution or indemnification for harm done in the circumstances to which accusation, exposure, lawsuit, or other official action relates, or as compensation for property or lawful services."

The defense is limited by its terms. It applies only to prosecutions based on paragraphs (1)(b), (c) and (d); it does not extend to threats of bodily injury or another crime under (1)(a), to the strike and boycott paragraph, or to the testimony paragraph. It covers property claimed as restitution or indemnification for harm connected to the threatened accusation, exposure, lawsuit or official action, or as compensation for property or lawful services.

Criminal coercion has a different provision. KRS 509.080(2) states that "A defendant may prove in exculpation of criminal coercion committed under subsection (1)(b), (c) or (d) that he believed the accusation or secret to be true or the proposed official action justified and that his sole purpose was to compel or induce the victim to desist from misbehavior or to make good a wrong done by him."

Whether either provision fits a particular demand turns on facts, and is a question for a lawyer licensed in Kentucky.

Sextortion laws in Kentucky

Kentucky created a specific offense of sexual extortion in 2025. Senate Bill 73 (2025 Ky. Acts ch. 9) added KRS 531.125, effective June 27, 2025.

What it prohibits. Under KRS 531.125(1), a person is guilty of sexual extortion when he or she communicates, through any means, a threat to:

• "Injure the property or reputation of another person or commit violence against another person with the intent to coerce that person to: 1. Engage in sexual conduct; or 2. Produce, provide, or distribute any matter depicting that person engaging in sexual conduct or in a state of nudity or seminudity"; or
• "Distribute any matter depicting another person engaged in sexual conduct or in a state of nudity or seminudity with the intent to coerce that person to: 1. Engage in sexual conduct; 2. Produce, provide, or distribute any matter depicting that person engaging in sexual conduct or in a state of nudity or seminudity; 3. Provide the payment of money, property, services, or any other thing of value to the perpetrator; or 4. Do any act or refrain from doing any act against his or her will."

Grading. KRS 531.125(2) makes sexual extortion a Class A misdemeanor unless the victim, as a result of the offense, engages in sexual conduct, produces, provides or distributes sexual or nude matter of himself or herself, pays money, property, services or any other thing of value to the offender, does or refrains from doing any act against his or her will, or suffers serious physical injury, "in which case it is a Class D felony."

The person "shall be charged one (1) level higher than the level otherwise specified in this subsection" if the person was previously convicted of a sexual offense under KRS Chapter 510 or a sex crime as defined in KRS 17.500, occupied a position of special trust or authority over the victim as defined in KRS 532.045, used or threatened the use of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument, or "Is an adult and the victim is a minor, and there is greater than a four (4) year difference in age between them," or if the offense was committed during a kidnapping as described in KRS 509.040. Where the offense would otherwise be a Class D felony, one level higher is a Class C felony, which carries 5 to 10 years under KRS 532.060(2)(c).

Suicide of the victim. KRS 531.125(3) provides that if the victim attempts suicide resulting in serious physical injury, or dies by suicide, within ninety days of the offense as a proximate result of the trauma the victim experienced during or following the offense, the person may be prosecuted for homicide under KRS Chapter 507 or assault under KRS Chapter 508.

Offenses involving minors. Where the person targeted is a minor, KRS 531.310 separately makes it a crime to employ, consent to, authorize or induce a minor to engage in a sexual performance, and KRS 531.300 defines a performance to include a photograph or computer-generated image. It is a Class C felony, a Class B felony if the minor is under 16, and a Class A felony if the minor incurs physical injury.

Exclusions. KRS 531.125(4) states the section does not apply to images involving voluntary nudity or sexual conduct in public, commercial settings, or where a person has no reasonable expectation of privacy; to "Disclosures made in the public interest, including the reporting of unlawful conduct, or lawful and common practices of law enforcement, criminal reporting, corrections, legal proceedings, or medical treatment"; to disclosures of materials that constitute a matter of public concern; or to broadband, telecommunications, mobile, cable and interactive computer service providers acting in the capacities the subsection lists.

Civil action. The same act created KRS 411.218(1): "Any person who violates KRS 531.125 shall be personally liable for actual and punitive damages, court costs, and reasonable attorney's fees in a civil cause of action brought against an alleged perpetrator by a: (a) Victim or the personal representative of his or her estate; or (b) Victim's parent or legal guardian on behalf of a victim who is a minor."

If you or someone you know is being threatened with the release of images, our sextortion scams guide covers reporting and removal steps. For Kentucky's rules on AI-generated images, see Kentucky deepfake laws; for state laws on sharing intimate images, see revenge porn laws by state.

Related Kentucky offenses people confuse with extortion

• Robbery in the first degree, KRS 515.020. Robbery involves force during a theft: a person "in the course of committing theft, he or she uses or threatens the immediate use of physical force upon another person with intent to accomplish the theft" and causes physical injury to a non-participant, is armed with a deadly weapon, or uses or threatens the immediate use of a dangerous instrument. It is a Class B felony (10 to 20 years under KRS 532.060(2)(b)), or a Class A felony when committed during a declared disaster emergency within the area covered by the declaration and impacted by the disaster.
• Terroristic threatening in the third degree, KRS 508.080. This offense needs no demand. Except as provided in KRS 508.075 or 508.078, it covers a person who "threatens to commit any crime likely to result in death or serious physical injury to another person or likely to result in substantial property damage to another person," or who makes false statements to cause an evacuation. It is a Class A misdemeanor.
• Criminal coercion, KRS 509.080. Discussed above; it covers threats used to compel conduct rather than to obtain property.

Threats used in online scams can also overlap with fraud offenses; see Kentucky scam and fraud laws.

Recent changes

• 2025: Senate Bill 73 (2025 Ky. Acts ch. 9) created the sexual extortion offense, KRS 531.125, and the civil action in KRS 411.218, both effective June 27, 2025.
• 2021: KRS 514.080 was amended by 2021 Ky. Acts ch. 66, sec. 13, effective June 29, 2021.

Federal law

Federal law also reaches interstate threats and extortion, separately from Kentucky's statutes; our extortion laws hub covers the federal offenses.

Related pages

• Extortion and blackmail laws by state
• Kentucky theft laws
• Kentucky deepfake laws
• Kentucky scam and fraud laws
• Sextortion scams: what to do

This article provides general legal information about Kentucky criminal statutes as of October 17, 2026. It is not legal advice. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Kentucky.

Last updated: October 17, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is blackmail illegal in Kentucky?

Kentucky has no crime named blackmail. Intentionally obtaining property by threatening, for example, to expose a secret tending to subject a person to hatred, contempt or ridicule is theft by extortion under KRS 514.080, and threats used to compel conduct without obtaining property can be criminal coercion under KRS 509.080.

Is extortion a felony in Kentucky?

It depends on value. Under KRS 514.080(3), theft by extortion is a Class D felony (1 to 5 years) when the property is worth $1,000 or more but less than $10,000, and a Class C felony (5 to 10 years) at $10,000 or more. Below $1,000 it is a misdemeanor unless the person has three or more convictions under the $500 to under $1,000 tier within the last five years.

What is the fine for felony extortion in Kentucky?

Except as otherwise provided for an offense defined outside the Penal Code, KRS 534.030(1) sets a felony fine of not less than $1,000 and not greater than $10,000, or double the gain from the offense, whichever is greater.

Is it extortion to threaten to report someone unless they pay?

A threat to accuse anyone of a criminal offense is listed in KRS 514.080(1)(b). Section 514.080(2) makes it a defense to a prosecution based on (1)(b), (c) or (d) that the property was claimed as restitution or indemnification for harm done in the circumstances the accusation relates to, or as compensation for property or lawful services. How that applies to a specific demand is a question for a Kentucky lawyer.

Is sextortion a crime in Kentucky?

Yes. Since June 27, 2025, KRS 531.125 makes sexual extortion a Class A misdemeanor, a Class D felony if the victim complies in a way the statute lists or suffers serious physical injury, and charges it one level higher with listed aggravators, such as an adult offender and a minor victim more than four years apart in age. Where the person targeted is a minor, KRS 531.310 also makes inducing a minor to engage in a sexual performance, which can be a photograph or computer-generated image, a felony.

What is criminal coercion in Kentucky?

Under KRS 509.080, a person commits criminal coercion when, with intent to compel another person to engage in or refrain from conduct, he unlawfully threatens to commit any crime, accuse anyone of a crime, expose a secret, or take or withhold official action. It is a Class A misdemeanor.

What is the penalty for attempted theft by extortion in Kentucky?

Under KRS 506.010(4), a criminal attempt is a Class A misdemeanor when the crime attempted is a Class C or D felony, and a Class B misdemeanor when the crime attempted is a misdemeanor.