Sextortion is a serious crime that occurs when someone threatens to expose/post
sensitive images or videos of their victims, often as a consequence for not providing
more explicit material or money. This person may be someone you know personally,
however often it will be someone who gained your trust online. These people lurk in
chat rooms, and on social media, pretending to be someone they are not. They will
change their age/gender to appeal to their victim. They may even use malware to gain
access to your camera and microphone.
This can happen anywhere online people meet and communicate, especially places
children frequent. 1 in 4 victims of Sextortion were 13 or younger when threatened, and
2 in 3 were girls threatened before the age of 16. It is becoming increasingly important
to monitor your children's web usage, and ensure parental controls are in place.
Through education of safe online practices we can reduce the number of sextortion
crimes dramatically. To avoid being a victim of this crime, be extremely careful who you
talk to online, as well as who you choose to send explicit images to.
You should also be very wary of online users who try to move to different platforms quickly, like from social media to video chatting services.
Do not open any attachments or links from people you do not know personally, use an
antivirus software and VPN, and turn off your camera and microphone when not in use.
Make sure to secure your online profiles by setting them to private, and include as little
personal information as possible, such as your name or common places you visit.
If you do find yourself in this situation, remain calm and cut contact with the perpetrator.
Remember not to delete any messages or evidence, anything can be useful when
building a case.
There are plenty of online resources to help you through the aftermath including:
To report Sextortion involving children please visit these sites: