KRS 509.080: Criminal coercion.

(1) A person is guilty of criminal coercion when with intent to compel another person

to engage in or refrain from conduct, he unlawfully threatens to:

(a) Commit any crime; or

(b) Accuse anyone of a crime; or

(c) Expose any secret tending to subject any pe rson to hatred, contempt or

ridicule or to impair another's credit or business repute; or

(d) Take or withhold action as an official or cause an official to take or withhold

action.

(2) A defendant may prove in exculpation of criminal coercion committed under

subsection (1)(b), (c) or (d) that he believed the accusation or secret to be true or the

proposed official action justified and that his sole purpose was to compel or induce

the victim to desist from misbehavior or to make good a wrong done by him.

(3) Criminal coercion is a Class A misdemeanor.