Sextortion — what parents need to know

Teaches parents about sextortion, what to look out for and how to help their children if targeted.

Sextortion: What Parents Need to Know

Sexual extortion or sextortion, as it is commonly referred to, is a form of online sexual exploitation where predators coerce minors into sharing explicit images and subsequently use these images to demand additional content, money, or other favours. This crime has a global reach and increasingly targets adolescents through social media, gaming and messaging platforms. It is imperative that parents understand sextortion, recognise early warning signs, and implement preventative strategies to protect their children in digital spaces.

The Growing Threat

Law enforcement agencies and child safety organisations have reported a significant rise in sextortion cases.

Global Crisis: Between October 2021 and March 2023, the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations identified over 12,600 child victims of financial sextortion in the United States, predominantly boys aged 14–17. Tragically, at least 20 suicides have been linked to such cases. The FBI (2024) has declared sextortion a ‘global crisis,’ noting that offenders often operate in organised groups across multiple countries.

Australian Context: In Australia, the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) observed a significant rise in sextortion reports during 2023, receiving over 300 reports per month, a substantial increase from approximately 100 per month in 2022. Notably, over 90% of the victims were teenage boys, with some cases involving children as young as 10 years old. Experts suggest that fewer than one in four incidents are reported, indicating that the actual prevalence is likely much higher. However, in the first half of 2024, the ACCCE documented a decline, with 560 sextortion reports, averaging 93 per month. While this decrease is encouraging, authorities remain concerned about the persistent threat of blackmail faced by victims.

Sadistic Sextortion: The Australian Federal Police (AFP 2024) have highlighted a disturbing trend known as sadistic sextortion, where perpetrators not only blackmail but also intentionally humiliate and psychologically torture their victims. These offenders often coerce children into escalating sexual acts, record their reactions—including instances of self-harm—and share the content online for further exploitation. Most victims are boys aged 15–17, often targeted on gaming platforms and social media apps.

Online-First Contact: A study by Wolbers et al. (2025) found that nearly two in three adolescents (64.6%) who experienced sexual extortion said the perpetrator was someone they had only met online and had never met in person. Alarmingly, 90.9% of these victims reported that the perpetrator first initiated contact, underscoring how predators proactively seek and groom young people in digital environments.

Psychological Impact: Sextortion often results in severe mental health consequences for young people, including depression, anxiety, fear, and feelings of shame. In some cases, the emotional burden has led to self-harm or suicide. The authorities emphasise victims are never to blame and must be treated with care, support, and dignity.

Warning Signs to Watch For:

While sextortion occurs online, its effects are often visible offline. Parents should remain alert for behavioural and situational red flags, including:

Unfamiliar Online Contacts: Children receiving friend requests or messages from strangers, especially those who quickly introduce sexual content into conversations.
Secrecy and App-Switching: Predators may encourage minors to switch platforms (e.g., from Instagram to Snapchat or WhatsApp), where conversations are harder to trace. If a child becomes secretive, hides their screen, or rapidly deletes messages, it may be a cause for concern.
Unexplained Gifts or Communications: Unexpected transfers of money, digital gift cards, or calls from unknown numbers could suggest grooming or manipulation.
Sudden Behavioural Changes: Victims may become withdrawn, anxious, irritable, or disinterested in daily activities. A decline in academic performance or reluctance to engage socially may also indicate distress.

Practical Prevention Strategies:

Parents can significantly reduce their child's vulnerability to sextortion by taking proactive, supportive steps:

Foster Open Communication: Encourage children to speak openly about their online interactions. Emphasise that they can approach you without fear of punishment, even if they made a mistake.
Establish Clear Boundaries: Teach children not to share explicit photos or personal details online. Help them understand they can never fully control what happens to a digital image once shared.
Enhance Digital Safety: Review your child's privacy settings on apps and social media. Limit interactions to known contacts and discourage sharing identifying information like their school, location, or age. Ensure that mobile phones, computers or gaming consoles are only ever used in shared spaces.
Stay Engaged and Informed: Familiarise yourself with the platforms your child uses. Regularly discuss potential risks and encourage critical thinking about who they interact with online.

What Should You Do If Someone Targets Your Child?

The most crucial thing to do if your child becomes a victim is to offer calm, nonjudgmental support and to take immediate protective action.

Offer Reassurance: Let your child know they are not to blame and that you will help them. Avoid expressions of anger or shame.
Do Not Comply with Demands: Refrain from sending additional content or money to the offender. Compliance rarely stops the abuse and often results in further exploitation.
Collect and Preserve Evidence: Take screenshots of all relevant communications, including usernames, profiles, threats, and payment requests. Please keep this data available for law enforcement. Do not take screenshots of any images.
Block and Report the Offender: Use the platform’s in-app tools to report the user. Contact the eSafety Commissioner in Australia or similar services abroad for image takedown assistance.
Report to Authorities: In Australia, file a report via the ACCCE online portal. Globally, contact your local law enforcement or national child protection hotline. Authorities are trained to respond with sensitivity, and they will not criminalise your child.
Seek Professional Support: Sextortion can be traumatic. Psychological counselling with experienced professionals can help children process their experiences and recover. In Australia, children and parents can access free support through Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800).

Sextortion is a serious and growing threat that affects children and families around the world. By staying informed, maintaining open communication, and implementing sound digital safety practices, parents can play a vital role in preventing harm and supporting their children in times of need. Early intervention and consistent support are key to reducing risk and promoting recovery.

References

Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) 2024, ACCCE Statistics, https://www.accce.gov.au/resources/research-and-statistics/statistics

Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) 2024, Promising results as sextortion reports drop but concern for children remains, 3 September, https://www.accce.gov.au/news-and-media/media-release/promising-results-sextortion-reports-drop-concern-children-remains

Australian Federal Police (AFP) 2024, Reports of child exploitation to AFP-led ACCCE increase 45% in past financial year, 2 September, https://www.afp.gov.au/news-centre/media-release/reports-child-exploitation-afp-led-accce-increase-45-past-financial-year

Australian Federal Police (AFP) 2024, AFP warning over rise of sadistic sextortion online, 6 September, https://www.afp.gov.au/news-centre/media-release/afp-warning-over-rise-sadistic-sextortion-online

eSafety Commissioner 2024, Online Sextortion and What You Can Do About It, https://www.esafety.gov.au/key...

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) 2024, Sextortion: A Growing Threat Targeting Minors, 23 January, https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/nashville/news/sextortion-a-growing-threat-targeting-minors

Wolbers, H, Cubitt, T, Napier, S, Cahill, M, Nicholas, M, Burton, M et al. 2025, 'Sexual extortion of Australian adolescents: results from a national survey', Australian Institute of Criminology, No. 712, https://www.aic.gov.au/publica...