Support and Resources for Families Facing Online Sextortion
Online sextortion occurs when an adult predator threatens or blackmails a child into providing sexual images or videos of themself, then demands more images or money under the threat of making the images public. Such online abuse is an extremely traumatic experience for victims and their families. If you or your child has experienced sextortion online, you are not alone, and help is available.
Have you experienced sexual assault or abuse?
Helping Survivors can connect you with an attorney if you may have a case. While we cannot report a crime on your behalf, your safety is important. Please contact your local authorities for further assistance.
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Author: Kathryn Kosmides
Survivor Advocate
- Online sextortion is a type of blackmail involving predators who threaten to share explicit images of children online unless the children provide more images or money.
- In recent years, numerous lawsuits have been filed against the operators of social media platforms like Snapchat, Discord, and Instagram for allegedly failing to protect minor users from grooming and sextortion.
- If your child has experienced sextortion online, Helping Survivors can connect you with an experienced attorney to provide more information on your legal rights and options.
How Helping Survivors Supports Sextortion Victims
At Helping Survivors, our mission is to help heal, educate, and empower survivors of sexual assault and abuse, including sextortion. We work to inform victims and their families of their rights, connect them with support resources, and make legal introductions to our partner law firms. These firms work with survivors and their families to file civil lawsuits against individuals, institutions, and corporations that perpetrate and enable abuse to compensate victims.
Contact us today to get connected with an experienced sexual abuse attorney for a free, confidential consultation to learn more about your legal rights and options after experiencing sextortion online.
What Is Online Sextortion?
Sextortion is a form of child sexual exploitation in which a predator coerces a child or teen into sending explicit photos or videos of themself, and then threatens to release the photos unless the victim sends more or makes a monetary payment.
In recent years, multiple families and state Attorneys General have filed lawsuits against social media companies over abuse on Snapchat, Instagram, and other platforms for allegedly failing to protect children from grooming and sextortion. The lawsuits allege that inadequate safety measures, such as limited age verification and the lack of parental controls, have created a safety gap that has allowed predators to target and exploit teens online.
Immediate Steps Families Should Take if Sextortion Occurs
Remain Calm and Support the Victim
Sextortion is a crime, and the victim is never at fault. It’s imperative to avoid blaming the victim in cases of sextortion to ensure your child feels comfortable coming to you about unsafe situations in the future. Open communication can keep your child safe.
Stop All Communication With the Blackmailer
Do not negotiate with the blackmailer when sextortion occurs, and do not send money, images, or anything else they may have requested. Cease all communications immediately, and once you have preserved evidence, block the account.
Preserve Evidence
Preserve important evidence like screenshots of messages, photos, videos, account information for the abuser, and any personal information your child may have exchanged with the perpetrator. Thorough documentation enables you to file a comprehensive report with law enforcement and, if necessary, a civil lawsuit against the platform’s operator.
Secure Online Accounts
Secure your child’s online accounts by changing their passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and reviewing privacy settings. In general, do not delete the account so that law enforcement can collect all evidence of the extortion.
Block and Report the Abuser
Report the perpetrator to the social media platform, local law enforcement, and the FBI.
Get Emotional Support
After experiencing online sextortion, your child is likely traumatized, afraid, and ashamed. It’s crucial to remember that sextortion is not your child’s fault. Provide as much support as possible, and if additional support is needed, seek out a counselor or support group.
Where to Report Sextortion
If your child experienced sextortion online, it’s important to use trusted reporting channels like local law enforcement, the FBI, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Law Enforcement
Young people exploited by online predators are victims of crimes. Report the incident to the authorities if possible. If you, your child, or someone else is in immediate danger due to sextortion, call 911 or your local police immediately. If there is no imminent threat, contact the local police or your local FBI field office.
When filing a police report, you may need to provide information about the perpetrator’s account, screenshots of conversations and images sent, and any other relevant evidence.
Cybercrime Reporting Platforms
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children offers several services for reporting cybercrimes like sextortion and removing child sexual abuse materials, or CSAM, from the internet.
The CyberTipline allows online reporting of child sexual exploitation, and you can also call the NCMECC 24/7 at 1-800-THE-LOST.
The Take It Down service is one step you can take to help wipe sexually explicit photos and videos taken before you were 18 from the internet.
Social Media Platforms
Each social media platform has its own reporting system, though the process is usually similar.
On Snapchat, press and hold on messages or accounts in the app and tap “report.” The account or content will then be reviewed for policy violations. If a violation is found, the account may be restricted or the content removed.
On Instagram, tap “options” at the top of a post or next to a person’s username, then tap “report”; follow the on-screen instructions to finish reporting.
Support Resources for Victims of Online Sextortion and their Families
The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, or RAINN, offers resources and support for those affected by online grooming. RAINN also operates a National Sexual Assault Hotline, which you can reach by calling 800-656-HOPE, texting HOPE to 64673, or using the site’s online chat function.
Stop Sextortion is an additional resource designed to support children and teens who have been victimized.
If your child is experiencing thoughts of self-harm or suicide after experiencing sextortion, contact the Suicide Prevention Lifeline online or by calling 988.
Preventing Sextortion in the Future
Teach Digital Safety
Teaching your child about digital safety early is key to keeping them safe online. Discuss the risks of sharing images online and educate your child about online manipulation. Let them know to be extremely cautious if communicating with strangers online, and to be selective about what they share, even if the person seems trustworthy.
Monitor Online Activity
Use any available parental monitoring tools on social media for your children and communicate regularly about online safety and interactions. Keep an eye on their conversations for any accounts you don’t recognize.
Encourage Open Conversations
To prevent sextortion, online grooming, and other abuse, it’s crucial to keep an open, non-judgmental line of communication with your child or teen so they feel comfortable coming to you if something goes wrong.
Discuss online safety openly, including how to identify a predator and what to do if a predator targets your child, and make sure your children feel safe reporting suspicious activity.
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