Sextortion: What Families Should Know
Sextortion happens when someone threatens to share intimate images
unless the target sends money, more images, or does what they
demand.
It moves fast. A contact who feels friendly on Monday can be making
threats by Wednesday. Boys aged 14 to 17 are targeted heavily in
financial sextortion.
If it is happening right now, do this:
Stop contact. Do not send money. Do not send more
images. Paying does not end it.
Preserve evidence. Screenshot the messages, the
profile, and the usernames before you block.
Block and report. Use the platform’s reporting
tool.
Report it. NCMEC CyberTipline at CyberTipline.org or
1-800-843-5678. The FBI takes reports at ic3.gov.
Get images removed. If your child is under 18, Take
It Down at takeitdown.ncmec.org can help remove or block the images
across major platforms.
Say the most important sentence. Your child is the
victim of a crime. Say that out loud. Shame is what the offender is
counting on, and shame is what stops kids from telling anyone.
Start the conversation: “If someone ever threatened you with a photo, I would help you. You would not be in trouble.”
If your child is in crisis, call or text 988 for the Suicide and
Crisis Lifeline.
This article is educational. It is not medical, legal, or
emergency advice.