Is Blackmail Illegal in Missouri? Extortion Laws and Penalties

Blackmail is a crime in Missouri, but no Missouri offense is named blackmail or extortion. Obtaining someone's property or services through a threat is charged as stealing "by means of ... coercion" under RSMo 570.030.1(1), using the threat list in RSMo 570.010(5), and it is graded mainly by value; threatening to share a private sexual image to gain something or to coerce someone is a separate felony under RSMo 573.112.

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

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Missouri criminal statutes on stealing by coercion (RSMo 570.010(5) and 570.030), threatening the nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images (573.112), sadistic online exploitation (573.575) and related threat offenses, with the sentencing and fine limits in RSMo 558.011 and 558.002. It does not cover what to do if you are being threatened or how to get images removed (see our sextortion scams guide), sharing intimate images as its own offense (see revenge porn laws by state), federal offenses (covered on our extortion and blackmail laws by state hub), or city and county ordinances.

What is extortion in Missouri?

Missouri places extortion inside its stealing statute. Under RSMo 570.030.1(1), "A person commits the offense of stealing if he or she: (1) Appropriates property or services of another with the purpose to deprive him or her thereof, either without his or her consent or by means of deceit or coercion."

The offense requires appropriating property or services, with the purpose to deprive the owner of them. A demand that fails can still be charged as an attempt: under RSMo 562.012, guilt may be based on an attempt where a person, with the purpose of committing the offense, performs "any act which is a substantial step towards the commission of the offense," and an attempted offense is "classified one step lower" than the completed offense unless the statute creating the offense provides otherwise.

When the means used is a threat from the statutory definition of coercion, the conduct is what most people call blackmail or extortion. The same value-based grading that applies to any other stealing offense then sets the class.

The word "blackmail" does appear in the Revised Statutes, but as a definition rather than an offense: RSMo 566.200(2) defines it, for the human-trafficking sections 566.200 to 566.218 and section 578.475, as "any threat to reveal damaging or embarrassing information about a person to that person's spouse, family, associates, or the public at large, including a threat to expose any secret tending to subject any person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule." That definition does not create a separate blackmail crime.

What kinds of threats count?

RSMo 570.010(5) defines "coercion" as "a threat, however communicated":

1. "To commit any offense; or"
2. "To inflict physical injury in the future on the person threatened or another; or"
3. "To accuse any person of any offense; or"
4. "To expose any person to hatred, contempt or ridicule; or"
5. "To harm the credit or business reputation of any person; or"
6. "To take or withhold action as a public servant, or to cause a public servant to take or withhold action; or"
7. "To inflict any other harm which would not benefit the actor."

The last item is a catch-all for other harms that would not benefit the person making the threat.

Missouri extortion penalties

Prison terms come from RSMo 558.011.1, in the version in force since August 28, 2021: a class B felony carries "a term of years not less than five years and not to exceed fifteen years," a class C felony "not less than three years and not to exceed ten years," a class D felony "not to exceed seven years," a class E felony "not to exceed four years," and a class A misdemeanor "a term not to exceed one year." Fine ceilings come from RSMo 558.002.1: $10,000 for a class C, D or E felony, $2,000 for a class A misdemeanor and $500 for a class D misdemeanor. As an alternative, where a person "has gained money or property through the commission of the offense," the court may fix a fine "not exceeding double the amount of the person's gain."

Section 570.030 also sets separate grades for certain listed types of property, and under 570.030.11 the value of property taken "pursuant to one scheme or course of conduct" may be aggregated to set the grade. Missouri's general stealing tiers are covered on our Missouri theft laws page.

Is extortion a felony in Missouri?

Not always. Stealing by coercion is a class D felony when the property or services are worth $750 or more (or the property is physically taken from the person) and a class C felony at $25,000 or more; below $750, unless another listed circumstance in 570.030 applies, it is a misdemeanor. Threatening the nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images under 573.112 is a felony whatever the value involved, as are sadistic online exploitation under 573.575 and threatening to disclose an intimate digital depiction under 573.570.

Threats to sue, report someone, or post about them

Missouri's definition of coercion includes threats "To accuse any person of any offense," "To expose any person to hatred, contempt or ridicule," and "To harm the credit or business reputation of any person." The same subsection then sets out a justification for one group of threats. RSMo 570.010(5) states:

"A threat of accusation, lawsuit or other invocation of official action is justified and not coercion if the property sought to be obtained by virtue of such threat was honestly claimed as restitution or indemnification for harm done in the circumstances to which the accusation, exposure, lawsuit or other official action relates, or as compensation for property or lawful service."

That justification is limited by its own words: it covers threats of accusation, lawsuit or other official action, and only where the property sought was honestly claimed as restitution or indemnification for harm done in the related circumstances, or as compensation for property or lawful service. The statute also places on the defendant "the burden of injecting the issue of justification." Whether it applies to a particular demand is a question for a lawyer licensed in Missouri.

Sextortion in Missouri

Missouri has no offense titled sextortion, but three statutes in chapter 573 reach it.

Threatening the nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images, RSMo 573.112. A person commits this offense "if he or she gains or attempts to gain anything of value, or coerces or attempts to coerce another person to act or refrain from acting, by threatening to disseminate an image of another person, which was obtained under circumstances in which a reasonable person would know or understand that the image was to remain private, against the will of such person: (1) Who is identifiable from the image itself or information displayed in connection with the image; and (2) Who is engaged in a sexual act or whose intimate parts are exposed, in whole or in part."

Both conditions in that list apply: the person must be identifiable, and the image must show a sexual act or exposed intimate parts. The offense covers attempts to gain something and attempts to coerce, so it does not depend on the threat working. Under 573.112.2, it is a class E felony, a class D felony for a second offense and a class C felony for any third or subsequent offense. It is a class B felony "If the image was of a minor or of a vulnerable person," or if the threat "is the proximate cause of serious physical injury or death of a person." Since August 28, 2026, sections 573.110, 573.112 and 573.114 "may be cited as 'Evan's Voice Act'" under RSMo 573.110.1. Under RSMo 573.114, a person found guilty under 573.112 "shall be ordered by the sentencing court to pay restitution to the victim of the offense."

Sadistic online exploitation, RSMo 573.575. Effective August 28, 2026, this offense includes conduct by a person who "(3) Uses nonphysical forms of coercion, manipulation, shame or fear to extort another person into providing sexually explicit content then using such content to further extort, threaten, or control the victim; or (4) Uses intimate depictions as devices to threaten or coerce a victim by demanding any kind of financial gain." Under 573.575.2, "The offense of sadistic online exploitation shall be a class E felony."

Threatening to disclose an intimate digital depiction, RSMo 573.570. Effective August 28, 2026, a person commits an offense by threatening to disclose a digitally created or altered intimate depiction of an identifiable person "With the intent to harass, annoy, threaten, alarm, or cause substantial harm to the finances or reputation of the depicted individual," or with "actual knowledge that, or reckless disregard for whether, such threatened disclosure will cause physical, emotional, reputational, or economic harm to the depicted individual." The threat is a class E felony. It is a class C felony for a second or subsequent violation, or where the depiction could reasonably be expected to affect a government proceeding or facilitate violence.

When the person pressured is under 18. Separate chapter 573 offenses apply. Use of a child in a sexual performance (RSMo 573.200) covers a person who "employs, authorizes, or induces a child less than eighteen years of age to engage in a performance which includes sexual conduct"; it is a class C felony, or a class B felony if the person inflicts serious emotional injury on the child. Sexual exploitation of a minor (RSMo 573.023), which covers producing or otherwise creating child sexual abuse material, is a class B felony, or a class A felony if the minor is under 14.

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

Related Missouri offenses people confuse with extortion

• Robbery in the first degree, RSMo 570.023. Robbery is forcible stealing. A person commits first-degree robbery "if he or she forcibly steals property and in the course thereof he or she, or another participant in the offense," does one of the listed things, which include displaying or threatening "the use of what appears to be a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument."
• Making a terrorist threat in the first degree, RSMo 574.115. This offense needs no demand for property. It covers knowingly communicating "an express or implied threat to cause an incident or condition involving danger to life," among other listed conduct, "with the purpose of frightening ten or more people or causing the evacuation, quarantine or closure" of a building or other listed place. It is a class D felony.
• Extortion by a public official, RSMo 105.452.1(5). A state or local elected or appointed official or employee may not use decision-making authority, to obtain a financial gain that materially enriches the official or the official's spouse or dependent children, by acting or refraining from acting "for the purpose of coercing or extorting from another anything of actual pecuniary value." A knowing violation is a class B misdemeanor for a first offense and a class E felony for a second or later offense (RSMo 105.478).

Recent changes

• 2026: H.B. 2273 (approved April 7, 2026; effective August 28, 2026) amended RSMo 573.112 and enacted 573.570 (threatening to disclose an intimate digital depiction), 573.575 (sadistic online exploitation) and 573.114 (restitution). Separately, S.B. 1421 amended the chapter 570 definitions in RSMo 570.010, effective the same date.
• 2025: The current version of RSMo 570.030 took effect August 28, 2025 (H.B. 495, 2025).
• 2028: RSMo 558.011, the section setting prison terms by class, has a new version scheduled to take effect January 1, 2028. The ranges above are from the version in force now.

Federal law

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

Related pages

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

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

Last updated: October 17, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is blackmail illegal in Missouri?

Yes. Missouri has no offense named blackmail, but appropriating another person's property or services by means of coercion, as defined in RSMo 570.010(5), with the purpose to deprive them of it, is stealing under RSMo 570.030.

Is extortion a felony in Missouri?

Stealing by coercion is a class D felony at $750 or more (or when property is physically taken from the person) and a class C felony at $25,000 or more; below $750 it is a misdemeanor unless another listed circumstance in 570.030 applies. Threatening to disseminate a private sexual image under 573.112 is a felony regardless of value.

What is the penalty for sextortion in Missouri?

Threatening the nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images (RSMo 573.112) is a class E felony, punishable by up to 4 years, and a class B felony, 5 to 15 years, if the image was of a minor or a vulnerable person. Sadistic online exploitation (573.575) is a class E felony, and threatening to disclose a digitally created or altered intimate depiction (573.570) is a class E felony, or class C in the circumstances that statute lists.

Is threatening to share someone's nude photos for money a crime in Missouri?

Under RSMo 573.112, gaining or attempting to gain anything of value by threatening to disseminate a private image of an identifiable person who is engaged in a sexual act or whose intimate parts are exposed is a felony.

Is it extortion in Missouri to threaten a lawsuit unless someone pays?

RSMo 570.010(5) states that a threat of accusation, lawsuit or other official action is justified and not coercion if the property sought was honestly claimed as restitution or indemnification for harm done in the related circumstances, or as compensation for property or lawful service. The defendant has the burden of injecting that issue.