15-year-old Bradyn Bohn died by suicide after falling victim to sextortion. His mom wants to protect other kids.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, call or text the three-digit suicide and crisis lifeline at 988. Resources are available online here.

Bradyn Bohn loved to ski.

So far, he had only done it at Rib Mountain, a state park near his Marathon County home.

But the 15-year-old student at D.C. Everest Junior High School dreamed of traveling farther afield so he could ski down bigger mountains. Bradyn had lots of dreams. He wanted to go to college and to become a dad someday.

On March 5, Bradyn’s mother, Brittney Bird, was getting ready to wake up her son with some good news.

School had been cancelled because of a snow day, and Bradyn would get to sleep in. Bird planned to drive Bradyn and his friend to Rib Mountain so they could ski.

But Bohn wasn’t in his bedroom. Eventually, he was found in the basement, where he had died by suicide.

Police found a note.

“His note said, ‘Make sure he gets caught,’” Bird told the state Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety at a public hearing. “‘I’m so sorry. Everything’s on my phone.’”

Bird said officers discovered Bradyn had fallen victim to sextortion. Now, his mother is advocating for a bill that would set felony penalties specific to that crime. That proposal advanced to public hearing this month after gaining bipartisan sponsors.

What is sextortion?

The FBI says it’s seen a “huge increase” in sextortion targeting children.

Typically, that’s when adult scammers solicit explicit photos or videos by pretending to be someone the victim’s own age. Then the perpetrators threaten to release that material unless the victim sends money or engages in sexual favors. Sometimes, the perpetrators threaten violence or tell the victim that the victim themselves will go to prison for child pornography.

Over a nearly two-year period between October 2021 and March 2023, federal officials say they’ve received more than 13,000 reports of online financial sextortion, involving at least 12,600 victims.

Most of the victims are boys, and the FBI says those sextoration cases have led to at least 20 suicides.

Bird learned of those statistics after losing Bradyn. Now, she wants to make sure no other parents suffer the same loss.

“Nobody talks about it, because people think it’s shameful,” Bird said during recent legislative testimony, which drew tears from lawmakers. “I’ve never been ashamed of my kid. He’s 15. He’s doing what 15-year-olds do.”

Agents with Wisconsin’s Department of Justice are investigating Bradyn’s death, the agency confirmed.

“As this is an ongoing investigation, no additional information is available at this time,” a DOJ spokesperson said.

What would the bill do?

Several existing Wisconsin laws could cover crimes related to sextortion, such as those criminalizing threats, extortion and sexual exploitation of children.

But a proposal introduced this month would create a new category of crime that’s specific to sextortion.

The bill classifies the act as a Class H felony, punishable by up to six years in prison. It also sets additional penalties if the victim is younger than 18 and the perpetrator is more than four years older than the victim.

And, under the bill, someone could be convicted of murder if a jury determines sextortion was a substantial factor in causing someone’s suicide.

State Rep. Patrick Snyder, R-Weston, an author of the proposal, says he knows the bill won’t bring Bradyn back.

“He was a healthy, happy young man,” Snyder said. “You think about [being] a 15-year-old and how you panic.”

But Snyder hopes added penalties will act as a deterrent. He said lawmakers worked with the office of Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, to craft the legislation.

“We want to have the ability to send a message to these predators that if they do something like this, it’s going to be harsh punishment,” Snyder said.

After he died, Bird learned her son had been sending money to scammers. She said he even tried to wire money via Western Union.

His death came just three days before his sister’s ninth birthday. Bird knows Bradyn must have felt desperate.

“He would have never left her unless he felt that someone was going to get hurt or something really bad is going to happen,” Bird said. “The monsters will always be there. Now we get to fight back.”

Resources for teens: What to do if you’re targeted with sextortion

The Wisconsin DOJ has resources available for parents seeking to talk to their kids about sextortion and online exploitation. The department also released the following tips for teens:

• Remember, it’s not your fault.
• Even if you made a choice you regret, it’s never too late to get help.
• Tell a parent or trusted adult right away.
• Do not pay money or comply with the blackmailer’s requests.
• Report the account through the platform’s safety feature.
• Block the suspect, but DO NOT DELETE the messages or your profile.
• Report the crime to law enforcement or at Report.CyberTip.org.