united-states criminal-law blackmail
What legal protections does one have against being blackmailed for sex?
<p>Suppose a woman, Alice, contacts a man, Bob, about the possibility of his being a sperm donor for her.  They reach an agreement for him to provide sperm without sexual intercourse.</p>

<p>Bob then demands that she have intercourse with him for the sperm donation.  Alice demurs.  Then Bob threatens to publicize the fact that she is looking for a sperm donor if she does not have intercourse with him.  What laws has Bob broken in making this threat, and what crimes could apply to his actions if he makes good on his threat?</p>

<p>The law of Washington is probably typical. Under <a href="http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9A.56.110" rel="nofollow noreferrer">RCW 9A.56.110</a>, </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>"Extortion" means knowingly to obtain or attempt to obtain by threat
  property or services of the owner, and specifically includes sexual
  favors.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>By <a href="http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9A.56.130" rel="nofollow noreferrer">RCW 9A.56.130(1)</a>,</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>A person is guilty of extortion in the second degree if he or she
  commits extortion by means of a wrongful threat as defined in *RCW
  9A.04.110(25) (d) through (j).</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Then looking at the relevant definition of threat (please note that there is a numbering error in the statute, that should be (28), I don't know if they will fix it), it says</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>(28) "Threat" means to communicate, directly or indirectly the
  intent:...</p>
  
  <p>(e) To expose a secret or publicize an asserted fact, whether true or
  false, tending to subject any person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule;
  or</p>
  
  <p>(f) To reveal any information sought to be concealed by the person
  threatened;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Second degree extortion is a class C felony. It is not first degree extortion, since that requires the threat to be</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>(a) To cause bodily injury in the future to the person threatened or
  to any other person; or</p>
  
  <p>(b) To cause physical damage to the property of a person other than
  the actor; or</p>
  
  <p>(c) To subject the person threatened or any other person to physical
  confinement or restraint;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Washington does not include a category of rape by extortion, though I've heard rumors that there is such a crime in some states. (It is not rape by forcible compulsion, second degree rape, because forcible compulsion is <a href="http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9A.44.010" rel="nofollow noreferrer">defined</a> as "physical force which overcomes resistance, or a threat, express or implied, that places a person in fear of death or physical injury to herself or himself or another person, or in fear that she or he or another person will be kidnapped": that is, there has to be actual or threatened physical force)</p>
