What is Sextortion?

What is Sextortion and How Does it Work?

Sextortion is a type of sexual blackmail where a predator uses real or alleged explicit photos, videos, or messages to threaten a child or young adult into providing more content, performing sexual acts on camera, or paying money. To gain the victim’s trust, offenders may pose as peers, romantic interests, or even ex-partners by creating fake profiles, often initiating contact through “secret” chats. They then leverage teens’ need for social connection and acceptance, and their fear of missing out (FOMO) on this, to persuade victims to share a compromising image. Once victims send that material, offenders may coerce them into sexual compliance or demand payment from them. In many cases, perpetrators falsely claim to have private content in order to pressure victims into sharing personal or sensitive material. 

While teens engaging in risky and dangerous behavior with strangers they meet online is a concern, parents and teens should also be aware of other scenarios closer to home. A large survey of sextortion victims found that respondents were also targeted by ex-partners weaponizing images from their past relationship.

What Makes Sextortion Dangerous for Youth?

Adolescents spend a significant amount of time on social apps (e.g., Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, and Discord) where strangers can initiate private conversations with them. Approximately one in five teenagers report having direct experience with sextortion or knowing someone who has been targeted. Teens’ increased sense of independence, drive for acceptance, budding romantic feelings and explorations, and limited digital experience make flattery and the secret sharing of personal, sexual content feel both thrilling and safe until a predator threatens exposure. These encounters can have severe consequences for youth mental health, as victims often endure intense shame, anxiety, isolation, and even thoughts of self-harm. Each new demand from the offender deepens the teen’s sense of helplessness and entrapment, with embarrassment and fear of repercussions often preventing them from seeking help. Research concerningly shows teens rarely report sextortion due to stigma and distrust of authorities, allowing abuse to continue unchecked.

Protecting Your Child

There are several steps you can take to protect your child from sextortion. First, encourage them to treat every digital image or message as permanent, as their “private” content can be saved, shared, and used against them. Walk through privacy settings with them on all social and gaming apps and recommend that they use strict settings and only permit contact with people they know in real life. Discuss common online sextortion tactics, like bluffing and FOMO, so they recognize the signs of grooming and coercion. 

If you discover your child is the victim of sextortion, take these steps together:

1. 1. Create a calm, supportive, and judgment-free safe haven to navigate the issue.
   2. Collect evidence first (e.g., conversation screenshots, usernames), then block the offender.
   3. Set the child’s online accounts to private or deactivate them.
   4. Report the offender via in-app tools on major platforms and to law enforcement or the CyberTipline.
   5. Contact an experienced attorney for guidance.
   6. If needed, seek additional support with trusted and trained experts such as a school counselor, therapist, or victim advocacy organization.

For more tips and recommendations, see our tip sheet “Online Sexual Exploitation, Grooming, and Extortion of Youth.”

For further discussion and resources on child sexual exploitation, watch our webinar, “Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Online: Virtual World, Real Victims.”

By maintaining open communication, reinforcing safe digital habits, and acting decisively if a crisis occurs, parents can help their children navigate the online world with greater confidence and security against sextortion.

Reference

Thorn. (2025). Sexual Extortion & Young People: Navigating Threats in Digital Environments. https://info.thorn.org/hubfs/Research/Thorn_SexualExtortionandYoungPeople_June2025.pdf