If an ex-partner threatens to post intimate videos or photos taken during the relationship unless you agree to get back together or engage in sexual activity with them, this behaviour is known as “sextortion” (sexual extortion).

It is a form of sexual violence that frequently occurs between partners or former partners. It can also be perpetrated by scammers who establish romantic relationships with victims to deceive them into sending intimate (nude) images, or who secretly record video calls or encounters. They then weaponise these private images, videos, or sexual materials involving the victim as a tool for blackmail.

The threats cause victims to fear that their reputation will be ruined through the exposure of their intimate photos or videos. Examples of these actions include:

• Threatening the victim to prevent them from ending the relationship.
• Coercing the victim into sexual acts, which can escalate to rape.
• Extorting money from the victim in exchange for not distributing their private photos or videos.
• The perpetrator posting or distributing the victim’s intimate images on public platforms.

Perpetrators make victims fear the reputational damage of having their intimate photos or videos exposed—whether by publishing them on social media or sending them to the victim’s family, friends, or workplace—if the victim refuses to resume the relationship, tries to break up, or refuses to send further nude photos or explicit videos.

Guidance on Responding to Sextortion

• Preserve Evidence
  Victims should gather and preserve all types of evidence that demonstrate the harassment and threats. This includes saving the URLs of the perpetrator’s accounts on various online platforms, chat logs, audio recordings, or video clips that capture the perpetrator’s behaviour. Additionally, victims should collect any information that can identify the offender, such as their real name, social media profiles, photos showing their face, bank account numbers, and any other relevant details. This information will serve as crucial evidence for future criminal prosecution.

• Protect Mental Well-being
  Being harassed and threatened inevitably takes a severe toll on the victim’s mental health; therefore, emotional healing must not be overlooked. Victims should rely on a trusted social support network, whether friends or close relatives, to provide emotional support, a listening ear, and reassurance during this difficult time. Concurrently, they should refrain from directly responding to the perpetrator, as further interaction may provoke additional threats, worsen the victim’s mental state, and escalate the conflict. Reporting the perpetrator’s account through the social media platform to have it suspended is another effective measure to help the victim disconnect from the harassment. However, it is vital that victims thoroughly collect and preserve all evidence before proceeding with the report.

• Report to Legal Authorities
  Fundamentally, sextortion constitutes a criminal offence of coercion—forcing another person to do or refrain from doing an act. Furthermore, if money is demanded or other actions are taken as part of the extortion, the perpetrator may face harsher criminal penalties or be charged with additional offences alongside the charge of coercion.