Gavin's Law

What is Gavin’s Law

Gavin’s Law was signed into law by Governor McMaster in 2023. In essence, the law prohibits “sextortion,” that is, according to the South Carolina Department of Education’s website, it makes “sexual extortion, the act of blackmailing someone using sexually explicit images or videos a felony offense and an aggravated felony if the victim is a minor, vulnerable adult, or if the victim suffers bodily injury or death directly related to the crime.” This law came into existence after “17-year-old Gavin Guffey was a victim of sexual extortion, resulting in him taking his own life.”

According to an SCDE memo sent to District Superintendents on August 29, 2023, the SCDE recommends that districts incorporate the requirements of Gavin’s Law into Erin’s Law, which includes the following provisions:

  1. Implementing a policy to educate and notify students of the provisions of Gavin’s Law.

  2. Providing “age-appropriate instruction on the dangers and consequences of sexual extortion to satisfy the requirements for student notification.”

  3. Posting Berkeley County School District’s Erin’s Law/Gavin’s Law Policy* on [our] website for full visibility.

  4. Using our “preferred notification method” to inform [students,] parents or guardians, the public and school personnel, “of the change in law.”

What Else Does BCSD Do To Protect Students Against Sexual Abuse/Sexual Exploitation?

  1. Employees and volunteers have passed a SLED check.

  2. Visitors inside our school building are required to scan their ID. The scanner is linked to the national sex offender registry.

  3. We require all of our faculty and instructional support staff to complete pertinent training through an online platform called Vector Solutions.

  4. We report all allegations of sexual abuse to appropriate authorities.

What Can You Do As Parents To Help Protect Your Children Against Sexual Abuse/Exploitation?

  1. Watch these three videos of Representative Brandon Guffey, father of the bill’s namesake.

  2. Talk to your kids. Assure them that you don’t expect them to keep bad secrets.

  3. Check out Take it Down.

  4. Check out the free, high quality publications produced by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Erin's Law