(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to intentionally, and with the purpose of unlawfully restricting another’s freedom of action to his or her detriment, threaten to:
(1) Commit any criminal offense;
(2) Accuse anyone of a criminal offense;
(3) Expose any secret tending to subject any person to hatred, contempt or ridicule, or to impair his or her credit or business repute; or
(4) Take or withhold action as an official, or cause an official to take or withhold action.
(B) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution based on divisions (A)(2), (3) or (4) above that the actor believed the accusation or secret to be true or the proposed official action justified and that his or her purpose was limited to compelling the other to behave in a way reasonably related to the circumstances which were the subject of the accusation, exposure or proposed official action, as be desisting from further misbehavior, making good a wrong done, refraining from taking any action or responsibility for which the actor believes the other disqualified.
(Prior Code, § 6-353) Penalty, see § 10.99