A police car at night alongside a road with emergency lights flashing.
Sextortion has become one of the fastest-growing crimes affecting people online. Law enforcement agencies across the United States have reported a significant increase in cases involving sextortion in recent years. Local law enforcement officials and federal task forces are investigating more people for sextortion, which may lead to multiple types of criminal charges at the state or federal levels. These cases have also led to a growing number of civil lawsuits filed by victims and their families.
What Is Sextortion?
Sextortion is a crime in which a person coerces someone into creating or sharing sexually explicit images or videos. They may then threaten to release that material to others unless the victim complies with the person’s demands. In some cases, a person may take steps to build trust with someone while communicating with them online, and they may then encourage the victim to share sexually explicit materials. Once a person has this material, they may then threaten to publish it online or share it with the victim’s friends, family members, or employer. They may pressure the victim into producing more images, paying money, or meeting other demands.
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How Common Is Sextortion?
In recent years, sextortion cases have grown at a fast pace. Between October 2021 and March 2023, the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations received more than 13,000 reports of financial sextortion involving minors. Since then, the number of cases has continued to increase, and in 2024, the FBI received almost 55,000 reports of offenses related to sextortion and other forms of extortion.
Criminal Charges Related to Sextortion
People who are accused of sextortion may face criminal charges related to multiple types of offenses. These may include:
- Coercion and Enticement: Under federal law, it is illegal to knowingly persuade, entice, or coerce a minor under the age of 18 to engage in illegal sexual activities. This includes the creation or transmission of child pornography or child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). This is a common charge in sextortion cases involving minors, since cases may involve accusations that a person persuaded a minor to create and send sexually explicit photos or videos.
- Sexual Exploitation of a Minor: Child pornography charges will often involve accusations of producing or attempting to produce sexually explicit images or videos of a minor. A person who encourages or coerces a minor into taking nude photos or sending sexually explicit videos may face these charges.
- Extortion: Criminal charges may apply at the state or federal level if a person is accused of threatening to release explicit images or videos unless a victim provides money or meets other demands. These charges may apply in addition to other offenses related to child pornography.
- Revenge Pornography: Several states have passed laws making it illegal to share sexually explicit images of a person without their consent for the purpose of causing embarrassment, emotional distress, or other forms of harm. This may be an issue in sextortion cases involving former romantic partners who had shared sexually explicit images or videos that they believed would remain private.
- Cyberstalking: A person who is accused of making repeated online threats or engaging in other forms of harassment may face criminal charges at the state or federal level.
Civil Claims Available for Victims of Sextortion and Their Families
While a person who has been accused of sextortion may face criminal prosecution, victims and their families may also pursue civil claims against a person who allegedly caused them to suffer harm. Civil cases are handled separately from criminal charges, and they may address the damages that a victim has suffered due to the actions of the alleged offender.
Civil lawsuits related to sextortion may address issues such as:
- Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress: A victim may take steps to recover compensation for the psychological harm they have suffered due to threats, harassment, and the release of embarrassing material.
- Financial and Personal Losses: A victim may take steps to recover the money lost due to sextortion, including money paid to an alleged offender or harm caused by the release of sexually explicit materials, such as the loss of a job. The damages in these cases may also address the ways a person’s life has been affected, such as harm to their personal relationships and reputation.
- Wrongful Death Claims: Sadly, there have been many sextortion cases that have led victims to commit suicide. In these situations, the family of a victim may take steps to address the losses they have suffered and hold the alleged offender responsible for actions that led to a wrongful death.
Legal Help with Cases Involving Sextortion
As the number of sextortion cases continues to rise, the people involved in these matters will need to understand how to address the legal issues they may encounter. People who are accused of sextortion may work with a criminal defense attorney to determine the specific charges they may face and the options for defense that may be available as cases are handled in state or federal courts.
Victims of sextortion may work with a personal injury lawyer to determine what steps they can take to address the harm they have suffered. They may file civil lawsuits against a person who committed sextortion, taking steps to recover compensation for financial losses, emotional trauma, and other ways they have been affected by these crimes.
