A group of Wisconsin lawmakers filed “Bradyn’s Law” this week in Madison, trying to increase the penalties for sextortion — it comes after the death of 15-year-old Bradyn Bohn.

Bradyn, a high school freshman who played baseball, died by suicide last month in Kronenwetter in central Wisconsin.

“He had hopes and dreams,” said Brittney Bird, Bradyn’s mother. “He was so intelligent, and so kind, funny, loud.”

The family later learned Bradyn had been the victim of sextortion.

“My son paid them, and they continued to emotionally abuse him and berate him,” said Bird. “In our small community, people are shocked; a lot of people didn’t know this was a thing, how deep it goes.”

The crime of sextortion is when someone tricks a person into sending photos, explicit ones, and demands something in return for not sharing the photos, according to law enforcement.

The proposed bill would create new penalties for the crime of sextortion, allowing those who cause death by suicide as part of a sextortion scheme to be charged with felony murder and make a victim of sextortion or their family eligible for payment under the Wisconsin Department of Justice crime victim compensation fund, according to the lawmakers’ news release.

“I think parents and teens need to be on the lookout for this because there are a lot of sick individuals out there that try to extort money, and we have to be on our toes,” said Rep. Pat Snyder (R – Weston, WI).

The lawmakers worked with Bradyn’s family, community members and the attorney general’s office to draft the bill.

“Look out of the best interest of not only our youth, but adults are victims in this as well,” said Sen. Jesse James (R – Thorp, WI) about the legislation. “I think getting this awareness out there is extremely important.”

“One of the biggest things getting us through this is the support of the community,” Bird said.

She’s hoping other parents talk to their kids who have access to phones or online platforms to talk about the topic of sextortion.

“Their brains aren’t ready for what the world has put in their hands, so if you think not your kid — talk to them and let them know there is nothing they can do that is too big for us to fix,” Bird said.

Wisconsin’s Attorney General’s Office provides tips for parents to have a conversation about the topic.