Is Blackmail Illegal in Tennessee? Extortion Laws and Penalties

Blackmail is a crime in Tennessee, charged under the name extortion. Under Tenn. Code Ann. 39-14-112, a person commits extortion by using "coercion" upon another person with intent to obtain property, services, any advantage or immunity, or to restrict unlawfully another's freedom of action, and the offense is a Class D felony whatever the value involved. Tennessee's criminal code names the offense extortion; it does not use blackmail as an offense name.

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

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Tennessee's extortion statute (Tenn. Code Ann. 39-14-112), the coercion definition in 39-11-106(a)(4), coercion of a witness (39-16-507), the 2025 offense of threatening to disclose an intimate digital depiction (39-17-1906), two offenses involving the sexual exploitation of minors (39-13-529 and 39-17-1005) and the felony sentencing ranges in 40-35-111. It does not cover what to do if you are being threatened or how to get images removed (see our sextortion scams guide), Tennessee's other 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 Tennessee?

Tennessee treats extortion as its own offense, separate from theft. Section 39-14-112(a) reads:

"A person commits extortion who uses coercion upon another person with the intent to: (1) Obtain property, services, any advantage or immunity; (2) Restrict unlawfully another's freedom of action; or (3)(A) Impair any entity, from the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured by the Constitution of Tennessee, the United States Constitution or the laws of the state, in an effort to obtain something of value for any entity;"

Subdivision (3), added in 2014, defines "something of value" to include "a neutrality agreement, card check agreement, recognition, or other objective of a corporate campaign," and defines a corporate campaign as "any organized effort to unlawfully bring pressure on an entity, other than through collective bargaining, or any other activity protected by federal law."

Two points stand out in that wording. First, the intent can be to obtain "any advantage or immunity," not only money or property. Second, subdivision (2) reaches coercion used to restrict another person's freedom of action, with no property involved at all.

The statute's offense name is extortion. Blackmail is the everyday word for the same conduct, most often a threat to reveal damaging information unless the other person pays or does something.

Is extortion a felony in Tennessee?

Yes. Section 39-14-112(c) states: "Extortion is a Class D felony." The section sets no value tiers, so the grade is the same whether the coercion was aimed at a small sum, a large one, or a non-money advantage.

That differs from theft. Tennessee grades theft under 39-14-105 by "the value of the property or services obtained," from a misdemeanor upward through the felony classes. Our Tennessee theft laws page covers those value tiers.

The ranges come from Tennessee's felony sentencing section, Tenn. Code Ann. 40-35-111(b). For a Class D felony it provides "not less than two (2) years nor more than twelve (12) years. In addition, the jury may assess a fine not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000), unless otherwise provided by statute." A Class E felony is "not less than one (1) year nor more than six (6) years" with a fine not to exceed $3,000, and a Class C felony is "not less than three (3) years nor more than fifteen (15) years" with a fine not to exceed $10,000, each "unless otherwise provided by statute." A Class B felony is "not less than eight (8) nor more than thirty (30) years" with a fine not to exceed $25,000. These are the statutory ranges; they do not predict the sentence in any case.

Within those limits, Tenn. Code Ann. 40-35-112 sets narrower ranges by the offender's prior record. For a Range I (standard) offender, the range is 2 to 4 years for a Class D felony, 1 to 2 years for a Class E felony, 3 to 6 years for a Class C felony and 8 to 12 years for a Class B felony.

What kinds of threats count as coercion?

Extortion in Tennessee depends on "coercion," a term defined once for the whole criminal title. Tenn. Code Ann. 39-11-106(a)(4) states:

"'Coercion' means a threat, however communicated, to: (A) Commit any offense; (B) Wrongfully accuse any person of any offense; (C) Expose any person to hatred, contempt or ridicule; (D) Harm the credit or business repute of any person; or (E) Take or withhold action as a public servant or cause a public servant to take or withhold action;"

Several features of the list matter to readers:

• "However communicated." The definition reaches a threat however it is made.
• "Any person." Paragraphs (B) through (D) refer to "any person," so the threatened harm need not fall on the person who is being coerced.
• Accusations. Paragraph (B) covers a threat to "wrongfully" accuse a person of an offense.
• Reputation and business. Paragraphs (C) and (D) cover threats to expose a person to hatred, contempt or ridicule and to harm credit or business repute.

The list does not name immigration status or intimate images as separate items. Threats involving intimate digital depictions are addressed by 39-17-1906, discussed below.

Is it extortion to threaten to report someone or demand compensation?

The coercion list covers a threat to "Wrongfully accuse any person of any offense" and a threat to harm a person's "credit or business repute." It does not name a threat to file a lawsuit as a separate item.

Section 39-14-112(b) then provides a defense written into the extortion statute itself:

"It is an affirmative defense to prosecution for extortion that the person reasonably claimed: (1) Appropriate restitution or appropriate indemnification for harm done; or (2) Appropriate compensation for property or lawful services."

The Sentencing Commission comment to 39-14-112 explains why this was made an affirmative defense: "because of the potential for violence that results from coercion, a reasonable claim of right for appropriate restitution or compensation is made an affirmative defense, placing a heavier burden of proof on the defendant." The same comment adds: "The use of threats to obtain such restitution or compensation, even if rightfully claimed by the defendant, should be discouraged." The compiler's note states that the comments do not reflect 1995 or later legislation.

The defense depends on what the person "reasonably claimed" and on whether the restitution, indemnification or compensation was "appropriate." How it applies to a particular demand turns on the facts and is a question for a lawyer licensed in Tennessee.

Does a failed demand still count?

The statute is written around the use of coercion with a listed intent, not around obtaining anything. The Sentencing Commission comment to 39-14-112 states: "Because the harm is the use of coercion for the above purposes, the offense is committed even though the offender's efforts are unsuccessful and, for example, do not result in obtaining any property."

Separately, Tennessee's general attempt statute, 39-12-101, can apply to extortion, and under 39-12-107(a) criminal attempt is graded one classification lower than the offense attempted.

Sextortion laws in Tennessee

None of the Tennessee sections covered on this page is titled sextortion or sexual extortion. Two of them can apply to threats involving intimate material, and two more apply when the person targeted is a minor.

The general extortion statute. Section 39-14-112 has no image-specific element. It applies when a threat on the coercion list, such as a threat to expose a person to "hatred, contempt or ridicule," is used with one of the intents in 39-14-112(a), including obtaining property, services or "any advantage."

Threats to disclose an intimate digital depiction. Public Chapter 466 of 2025 (House Bill 1299), the Preventing Deepfake Images Act, added Tenn. Code Ann. 39-17-1906, effective July 1, 2025. Subsection (a) states:

"It is an offense to disclose or threaten to disclose or solicit the disclosure of an intimate digital depiction: (1) With the intent to harass, annoy, threaten, alarm, or cause substantial harm to the finances or reputation of the depicted individual; or (2) With actual knowledge that, or reckless disregard for whether, such disclosure or threatened disclosure will cause physical, emotional, reputational, or economic harm to the depicted individual."

A violation is a Class E felony, or a Class C felony "in the case of a violation in which the creation, reproduction, or distribution of the intimate digital depiction could be reasonably expected to: (A) Affect the conduct of any administrative, legislative, or judicial proceeding of a governmental agency, including the administration of an election; or (B) Facilitate violence." Unlike extortion, the offense needs no demand. The act defines an "intimate digital depiction" as a digital depiction of an individual "that has been created or altered using digital manipulation" and that appears to depict the nudity or sexual conduct listed in 39-17-1902(6), so the section is aimed at manipulated or AI-generated images (39-17-1902(4), (6)). A threat involving real, unaltered images falls outside 39-17-1906 but can still be extortion under 39-14-112 when its elements are met; our Tennessee deepfake laws page covers that act in more detail.

Offenses involving minors. When the person targeted is a minor, two Tennessee offenses address inducing a minor to perform or produce sexual material. Tenn. Code Ann. 39-13-529(a) makes it a Class B felony for a person 18 or older, by oral, written or electronic communication, including webcam communications, to intentionally command, hire, persuade, induce or cause a minor to engage in sexual activity or patently offensive simulated sexual activity that is observed by that person or by another. Tenn. Code Ann. 39-17-1005 makes it a Class B felony to knowingly promote, employ, use, assist, transport or permit a minor to participate in the performance of, or in the production of, acts or material that includes the minor engaging in sexual activity or patently offensive simulated sexual activity. A Class B felony carries 8 to 30 years and a jury fine of up to $25,000 (40-35-111(b)(2)).

The same act that created 39-17-1906 also lets an individual who is the subject of an intimate digital depiction that is intentionally disclosed without consent bring a civil action against the person who disclosed it, where that person knew or recklessly disregarded that the individual had not consented (39-17-1903).

If you or someone you know is being threatened with the release of images, our sextortion scams guide covers reporting and removal steps. For state laws on sharing intimate images, see revenge porn laws by state.

Related Tennessee offenses people confuse with extortion

• Robbery, Tenn. Code Ann. 39-13-401. "Robbery is the intentional or knowing theft of property from the person of another by violence or putting the person in fear." It is a Class C felony. Robbery is a taking from the person; extortion is the use of coercion with a listed intent.
• Theft, Tenn. Code Ann. 39-14-105. Ordinary theft is graded by the value of the property or services obtained, while extortion is a Class D felony at any value.
• Coercion of a witness, Tenn. Code Ann. 39-16-507. A person commits this offense "who, by means of coercion, influences or attempts to influence a witness or prospective witness in an official proceeding with intent to influence the witness to: (1) Testify falsely; (2) Withhold any truthful testimony, truthful information" or as the section otherwise lists. It is a Class D felony.

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

Recent changes

The extortion statute dates to the 1989 criminal code revision (Acts 1989, ch. 591) and was amended by Acts 2014, ch. 982, which applies to offenses committed on or after July 1, 2014. The threat-to-disclose offense for intimate digital depictions, 39-17-1906, was enacted by Public Chapter 466, signed by the Governor on May 15, 2025, and took effect July 1, 2025.

Federal law

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

Related pages

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

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

Last updated: October 17, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is blackmail illegal in Tennessee?

Yes, under the name extortion. Tenn. Code Ann. 39-14-112 makes it a Class D felony to use coercion, such as a threat to expose a person to hatred, contempt or ridicule, with intent to obtain property, services, any advantage or immunity, or to restrict unlawfully another's freedom of action.

Is extortion a felony in Tennessee?

Yes. Section 39-14-112(c) states that extortion is a Class D felony, which carries 2 to 12 years and a fine of up to $5,000 if assessed by the jury, unless otherwise provided by statute (40-35-111(b)(4)). For a Range I (standard) offender, the range is 2 to 4 years (40-35-112(a)(4)). The section does not grade the offense by value.

What threats count as coercion in Tennessee?

Under 39-11-106(a)(4), coercion is a threat, however communicated, to commit any offense, wrongfully accuse any person of any offense, expose any person to hatred, contempt or ridicule, harm the credit or business repute of any person, or take or withhold action as a public servant or cause a public servant to do so.

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

The coercion list covers a threat to wrongfully accuse any person of any offense. Section 39-14-112(b) makes it an affirmative defense that the person reasonably claimed appropriate restitution or indemnification for harm done, or appropriate compensation for property or lawful services. How either applies to a specific demand is a question for a Tennessee lawyer.

Is threatening a bad review unless someone pays extortion in Tennessee?

The coercion definition in 39-11-106(a)(4)(D) includes a threat to harm the credit or business repute of any person. Extortion under 39-14-112 requires that the coercion be used with one of the intents listed in subsection (a), such as obtaining property or any advantage.

Is sextortion a crime in Tennessee?

The general extortion statute, 39-14-112, has no image-specific element but applies when a threat on the coercion list is used with one of its listed intents. Since July 1, 2025, 39-17-1906 also makes threatening to disclose an intimate digital depiction, meaning an intimate image created or altered using digital manipulation, a Class E felony, or a Class C felony in listed circumstances, without any demand. When the person targeted is a minor, 39-13-529(a) and 39-17-1005 make inducing a minor to engage in sexual activity observed by another, or using a minor in producing sexual material, a Class B felony in the circumstances each section lists.

Is it still extortion if the demand fails?

The Sentencing Commission comment to 39-14-112 states that the offense is committed even though the offender's efforts are unsuccessful and, for example, do not result in obtaining any property. Separately, under 39-12-107(a) a criminal attempt is graded one classification lower than the offense attempted.