Governor signs landlord sexual extortion bill

RICHMOND, Va. — Gov. Glenn Youngkin recently signed a bill that will charge landlords who threaten renters with sexual extortion with a Class 5 felony . Del. Wendell Walker, R-Lynchburg, introduced House Bill 1998 to offer renters more protection from landlords who make malicious threats such as housing or financial loss, and property damage, in order to engage in sexual intercourse.

Sexual assault can occur in ways other than nonconsenusal sex, and include situations of threat, intimidation, physical helplessness or mental incapacity, according to current Virginia law.

Walker told lawmakers that current law does not protect from threats to someone’s housing security, which is a detriment to the victim’s financial and living situation. The bill ensures housing and financial manipulation will be recognized as a form of sexual extortion, Walker said.

Lynchburg Commonwealth’s Attorney Bethany Harrison advocated for the bill and collaborated with Walker.

“I had a case in Lynchburg within the past five years that came to our office that we could not proceed with, that involved a sexual assault between a landlord and a couple of tenants,” Harrison said. “So that’s where I brought this idea to Del. Walker and he came up with the sexual exploitation bill.”

There was also another case in a neighboring county that involved a landlord threatening eviction for sex, she said.

The bill contends with an area of sexual assault not yet covered, Harrison told the House Criminal Subcommittee on Jan. 31. Victims need protection against financial threats, not just physical harm, she said. Walker introduced the same bill in 2024, but it did not advance from the House Courts of Justice Committee. This year it passed both chambers unanimously.

The bill also creates a felony for violations against people younger than 15 years of age. This punishment ranges from one to 20 years and a fine of no more than $100,000.

“It is a bill that is helpful to our victims of crime,” Harrison said. “Given that within the past couple of years, we had a sexual exploitation law that passed and this bill adds to that law.”

The Class 5 felony charge aligns with existing sexual exploitation charges, according to Harrison. Individuals found guilty of a Class 5 felony face a prison sentence of at least one year, but no more than 10 years. A jury or court can opt for a jail sentence of no more than 12 months and a fine of not more than $2,500, either or both. That means a perpetrator found guilty could pay only a fine for the crime.

The bill will go into effect starting July 1.

Capital News Service is a program of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Robertson School of Media and Culture. Students in the program provide state government coverage for a variety of media outlets in Virginia.