What Is Sextortion?

🛡️ The #1 rule for this entire module: You are NOT in trouble. Tell a trusted adult.

Welcome to Week 17 of CyberSafe Kids! Over the past few modules, you've learned about online grooming — how some people build trust so they can take advantage of young people. This lesson builds on everything you already know, because understanding these tricks is how you stay safe.

So What Is It?

Sextortion is a big word, but it means something you can understand: it's when someone online tries to trick or pressure a young person into sharing pictures of their body — and then threatens to show those pictures to other people unless the victim does what they say.

The criminal might demand:

More pictures
Money
Other things the victim doesn't want to do

This is a crime committed by the person making threats. They are the one breaking the law — never the young person they targeted.

Who Does This Happen To?

This might surprise you: sextortion happens to boys a lot. Many people assume only girls get targeted online, but the FBI reports that boys are targeted very frequently — especially by criminals who create fake profiles pretending to be someone their age.

It happens to kids of all genders, all ages, and all backgrounds. It can happen to anyone — and if it ever happens to you or a friend, it is not your fault.

Some Important Numbers

The FBI has seen a huge increase in sextortion cases targeting kids in recent years
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) received over 26,000 reports of sextortion in a single recent year
Many cases go unreported because kids feel scared or ashamed — but reporting is what stops it

The Most Important Thing to Know

If this ever happens to you or someone you know:

🛡️ You are NOT in trouble. Tell a trusted adult — a parent, guardian, teacher, or school counselor.

The criminal is counting on you being too scared or embarrassed to speak up. That's their main weapon — your silence.

Telling someone is not weak. It's the bravest and smartest thing you can do.

The Connection to Grooming

Remember what you learned in the grooming module? Some people online slowly build trust — being extra nice, giving compliments, pretending to be a friend — so they can eventually take advantage of a young person.

Sextortion often starts with grooming. That's why the red flags you already know how to spot are your first line of defense.