Note: The DearEsq free 'ask a lawyer' site is offered as a free informational service to the public and is not intended as legal advice. Laws vary from state-to-state, and in addition every situation is unique, and relevant facts may not be known. The answer to the question posed below may not apply to in your state or to your situation. For legal advice in your state and your situation you should consult with an attorney in your state who is familiar with the rules and laws in your state.
“My ex girlfriend sent a letter that is threatening to expose damaging texts to my parents if I don’t pay her back $200 right away. She gave me the money under her own free will & I agreed to pay her back when I had the money but this seems illegal. Is she committing coercion or extortion? Can I have her arrested? Please help me because I cant pay her back right now yet cant let her show these damaging texts.”
What you are talking about *could* be seen as a privacy issue, or maybe even a copyright issue, but quite possibly not as it has long been held that the recipient of a communication has nearly the same rights as does the initiator of the communication with respect to the communication.
More importantly, the reality is that it would cost you a whole lot more than $200 to press such a case. Your best bet is to find a way to pay her back immediately, and sit down with her at a coffee shop and have her delete the texts before you hand her the cash.
