You might not have heard of the specific term sextortion, but it is related to a range of offences that are committed online that you probably have heard of.
Most people will know it for crimes related to online blackmail, where criminals will threaten to release sexual or nude images of you, unless you pay them money or do what they ask you to.
It’s important to note that sending sexual or nude images to someone you’ve been chatting to online is not illegal if you are both consenting adults. But if you have not met this person in real life, there is always a risk of them attempting to blackmail you with the images you shared.
The following are cases of sextortion, they are all illegal and punishable as a criminal offence:
- Blackmailing someone with images or videos you’ve received, even with their consent.
- Blackmailing someone with with photos or videos you stole or received from a someone else.
- Blackmailing someone with photos or videos made using AI generation tools based on their likeness.
Blackmailing does not just include asking for money. If you ask for more pictures, videos or ask anything else of them this counts as blackmail and therefore sextortion.
How Can I Prevent Sextortion?
The simplest answer is to never to share sexual or nude images or videos online, however we understand that some people will want to by their own choice. There is a few things you can do to reduce the risk:
- Review your privacy settings – the less information potential criminals have access to means that it’s less likely you will be targeted. Try and make your friends list, photos and personal information private on any apps that could be sharing information publicly.
- Create a strong password – Some criminals may try to access your account, take a look at our quick guide on creating a secure password.
- Look out for phishing scams – Similarly criminals may try to access your account by getting you to click dangerous links. Learn more about phishing scams here.
- Don’t accept friend or message requests from strangers – If you receive a friend request or message from someone you don’t know and they’re trying to start a conversation you shouldn’t engage them. You should be wary of someone even if you have mutual friends in common.
Someone Has Blackmailed Me, What Do I Do?
Do Not Panic – This is easier said than done but you need to know that this is not your fault and you are not in trouble.
Do Not Pay – There is no guarantee that the criminal will delete the photos, in fact some might even make more demands since they were successful in the first time. If you’ve already paid them, it may be worth contacting your bank as they could be able to recover the payment.
Get In Touch With The Police – If this is an ongoing issue then your best course of action is to report it to the police. You can call them at 101 as a non-emergency or submit a request through their online form. You should also take screenshots of any blackmailing that took place so it can be used as evidence.
For many people this can understandably be a scary thing to report to the police. You should try to remember that the police are only there to help you with this and will try to cause you as little embarrassment as possible during the procedure.
Get support – There is support available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Tell an adult you live with or contact Childline for confidential advice and support here.
You can also talk to a teacher at school or another adult that you trust. We know that talking about it can feel like a huge step, but you should never be judged. It’s important to remember that you did not do anything wrong and everything will be okay.
Other Places To Get Support
There are several places that can help you if you don’t want to initially go to the police as well:
If You Are Over 18
- Revenge Porn Helpline – A UK service supporting anyone over 18 who is experiencing issues around sensitive images being shared, they also have a helpline you can call at 0345 6000 459
- Stop NCII – A free tool which can help ensure that your sensitive images are not shared online.
- Samaritans – Free, confidential listening service if you wish to discuss your problem free from judgement.
If You Are Under 18
- CEOP Safety Centre – If you are worried about anything related to online sexual abuse or the way someone has been chatting to you online you can report it here.
- Childline – Free, confidential support online for children and young people. You can also call Childline at 0800 1111.
If you have been a victim of sextortion, you are not alone.
Find our full list of mental health organisations that are there for you, no matter what.
Looking for more information on sextortion? Check Crimestoppers Fearless page for more information.