What is Sextortion?
Sextortion, is a combination of the words "sex" and "extortion". It is a non-physical form of coercion where a perpetrator threatens to send out someone's private or sensitive materials or intimate pictures if they do not provide them with more sexual images, sexual favors, or money.
What are the Statistics Around Sextortion?
5% of US Middle and Highschool students have reported being victims of sextortion.
Countering Technology-Facilitated Abuse, 2020
Younger age groups are experiencing higher rates of sextortion, nonconsensual pornography, and cyber stalking.
Countering Technology-Facilitated Abuse, 2020
Victims of sextortion and nonconsensual pornography suffer from depression, anxiety, and PTSD and are more likely to engage in self-harm.
Countering Technology-Facilitated Abuse, 2020
Almost half of sextortion victims reported having lost a relationship with a friend, family member, or partner due to their victimization.
Countering Technology-Facilitated Abuse, 2020
66% of Sextortion victims globally are girls under the age of 16.
Technology- Facilitated Gender-Based Violence: An Emerging Issue in Women, Peace & Security (2024)
The Lethality of Sextortion
As the prevalence of sextortion increases, so do instances of self-harm in victims.
Data collected by the FBI shows a 1,000% increase in incidents of financial sextortion reported in the first six months of 2022 as compared to the same timeframe in 2021. In December 2022, the FBI issued a national public safety alert on financial sextortion schemes, citing over 7,000 reports of online financial sextortion of minors, of which 3,000 victims were as young as eight years old and were primarily boys, and more than a dozen suicides. FBI Director Christopher Wray noted that in particular, “the FBI has seen a horrific increase in the reports of financial sextortion schemes targeting minor boys.”
One of the most impactful ways to prevent sextortion is teaching minors about online safety, the potential consequences of sharing explicit content, the signs of manipulative behavior, and red flags indicative of potential sextortion attempts.1
FBI National Press Office.(2022,December19) .FBI and partners issue national public safety alert on financial sextortion schemes. Federal Bureau of Investigation. https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressreleases/fbi-and-partners-issue-national-public-safety-alert-on-financial-sextortion-schemes
Resources
Where Can I Report?
NYS Police
- For online sexual exploitation: Internet Crimes Against Children | New York State Police
- 1-800-THE-LOST
- CyberTip Report
FBI
- 1-800-CALL-FBI
- Electronic Tip Form
- Local Field Office
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
Where Can I Learn More?
- National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
- NoFiltr by Thorn
New York State Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline
If you or someone you know is experiencing technology-facilitated abuse. The NYS Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline is free, confidential, available 24/7, 365 days a year, and available in most languages.
Text: 844.997.212
Call: 800.942.6906
Chat: opdv.ny.gov
Technology and Gender-Based Violence Webpage
For more resources and information related to technology-facilitated gender-based violence, visit our Technology and Gender-Based Violence Webpage.