Teenagers

Sextortion: If Your Teenager Is Being Blackmailed Over a Photo

Someone has an intimate image of your teenager and is threatening to share it unless they pay or send more. What sextortion is, what to say to your child first, what to do in the next hour, and where to report it and get images removed.

By MOH. SAMY · Reviewed 3 November 2026 · 3 min read

If your child is in danger or talks about harming themselves, call your local emergency number now.

Sextortion is when someone gets a sexual or intimate image of a young person, or pretends they have one, and then threatens to share it with family, friends or school unless the young person pays money or sends more images. Often the person isn’t who they said they were. Often it moves very fast, over hours, not weeks.

It is a crime. Your child is the victim. Whatever they sent, and however it happened, they are not to blame.

First: what to say to your child

Your child may be terrified, ashamed, and convinced their life is over. Some young people have harmed themselves in this situation. So your first words matter more than anything else you do:

“Thank you for telling me. You are not in trouble. This is not your fault. We will get through this together.”

Say it more than once. Stay with them.

The next hour

1. Don’t pay, and don’t send anything more

Paying almost never ends it. It usually leads to more demands.

2. Stop replying, but don’t delete

Stop all contact. Don’t delete the account or the messages yet. They’re evidence.

3. Save the evidence

Take screenshots of the messages, the usernames, the profile and any payment details they asked for. Do not screenshot or save the intimate image itself. Keeping or sharing a sexual image of an under-18 can be a crime, even for a parent.

4. Block and report on the app

Once evidence is saved, block the person and use the app’s report button.

5. Report it

6. Get the image removed

  • Take It Down (from NCMEC) helps under-18s stop their images being shared on many platforms, without the image ever leaving their device: takeitdown.ncmec.org.
  • Report Remove (from Childline and the Internet Watch Foundation, UK) lets young people report a nude image of themselves to be removed: childline.org.uk.

In the days after

  • Keep checking in. Shame lasts longer than the crisis. Watch their mood and sleep.
  • No punishment for the original picture. Not now. Maybe a calm talk about it later, when they feel safe.
  • Tell the school if the threats mention classmates or the school, so they can help.
  • Get support: a doctor, a school counsellor, or a child helpline.

Prevention, said once before it’s ever needed

Tell your teenager now, before anything happens:

“If anyone ever threatens you over a photo, come to me straight away. I won’t be angry. Whatever you sent, I’ll help you. There’s always a way out of it.”

Many young people who are blackmailed say they didn’t tell because they were scared of their parents’ reaction. Remove that fear in advance.

Sources

Next step

Tonight, say this once to your teenager: “If anyone ever threatens you over a photo, come to me. I won’t be angry. I’ll help you.” What to say → Phone agreement →