What is Sextortion?
Sextortion is when an online predator tricks someone into giving them nude images or videos, and then demands money, more images, or makes other demands—threatening to share the images with the victim’s friends and family if they don’t comply. Sextortion, “a new form of sexual assault” (Peek, 15, 22), is adults taking advantage of youth. The “average age of entry is about 9 to 11 years old” (Peek, 23, 10) of the victims of Sextortion
A predator (or offender) uses the art of manipulation or deception (Polaris, 202024, p.1) to influence a young person into revealing personal information or images, then attempts to blackmail the victim for additional images, usually for sexually explicit photos or videos. Young men have been targeted for sextortion; young women are targeted more often, “affecting women, girls, the vulnerable” (France, 2022, p.1).
