Missouri Senate committee to hear testimony on Evan’s Voice Act addressing sextortion
Parents of Aurora teen who died by suicide after online extortion prepare to testify Wednesday
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - A Missouri State Senate committee is set to hear testimony this week regarding the Evan’s Voice Act, legislation addressing sextortion that honors Aurora teen Evan Boettler, who died by suicide after online extortion.
Kari and Brad Boettler lost their 16-year-old son Evan on January 3, 2024. He died by suicide after online exploitation when someone coerced Evan into sending a picture of himself, then threatened to send it to people he knew.
“Our son Evan, he was a 16-year-old boy here going to school in Aurora. Bright kid with a bright future,” said Kari Boettler, Evan’s mother.
“As a dad, as a parent, you want to protect your kid. And, you do everything in your power to make that happen. And this is one of those things that we didn’t necessarily have control of,” said Brad Boettler, Evan’s father.
Since Evan’s death, the Boettlers made it their mission to make sure his story lives on, hoping to bring awareness to others who may be in the same situation.
Proposed legislation creates a new criminal offense
Their mission led to working with state lawmakers and creating the Evan’s Voice Act, a bill that creates the offense of sexually extorting a minor.
The Boettlers testified before the House committee last week.
Police chief says current laws inadequate
Aurora Police Chief Wes Coatney began the initial investigation into Evan’s case before it was turned over to the FBI. He says right now, there isn’t much in Missouri State law that can be done with these types of online exploitation investigations.
“I’ve made that clear, and I’ve made it clear to the Boettlers that, you know, it’s difficult. The FBI, the feds can do some things that I can’t do because I don’t have a really specific statute,” Coatney said. “The fact of the matter is, we should still have Evan Boettler.”
On Wednesday, Chief Coatney and the Boettlers are set to testify before the Senate committee, advocating to get the Evan’s Voice Act passed.
“I just want to communicate with the Senate and say, listen, our hands are kind of tied. We need some statute to not only hold people accountable, but also to have some statute to use for investigatory purposes to go in and get that data,” Coatney said.
“We’re trying to hold people accountable and penalize them for these acts, but there isn’t currently legislation out or laws that have been passed to prevent these things from happening online,” Kari said.
If you or a loved one is experiencing thoughts of harm, call or text the mental health hotline 9-8-8 for help.
(In collaboration with KY3 reporter/anchor Adam Woodbrey)
Comments