Senator Carla Nelson (R–Rochester) today applauded the Minnesota Senate's passage of Carter's Law, a provision included in the Public Safety policy bill that strengthens criminal penalties for sextortion crimes that result in serious harm or death.

The law was inspired by the death of Carter Bremseth, a 16-year-old from Olivia who died by suicide in December 2021 after being targeted by online criminals in Nigeria. Scammers posing as a teenage girl on Instagram coerced Carter into sharing a private photo, then threatened to expose it unless he sent money. Carter died by suicide less than an hour after taking the photo.

His parents, Jaime and Dan Bremseth, were in the Senate chamber as the bill passed.

"Jaime and Dan Bremseth have turned unimaginable heartbreak into a mission to protect other families," Sen. Nelson said. "Carter's Law holds predators accountable and sends a clear message to anyone who targets our kids online that there will be serious consequences."

Carter is one of nearly 50 teenagers nationwide known to have died by suicide during a sextortion case, and law enforcement believes the true number is higher.

Under current law, coercion penalties are tied to the financial value of the harm caused, with no enhanced penalties for cases resulting in physical injury or death. Carter's Law changes that. If coercion leads to great bodily harm, the penalty is up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine. If it leads to death, including suicide triggered by the blackmail, the penalty rises to up to 15 years in prison and a $30,000 fine.

The provision passed the House unanimously and was included in Senate File 4760, which the Senate passed Tuesday.