What Parents Should Know About Sextortion and How to Respond

Sextortion is one of the fastest-growing threats facing kids online — and it rarely begins with a stranger hacking a phone. It usually starts with a friendly conversation, built on compliments and trust, before it turns coercive. Offenders target teens of every background, and criminal groups increasingly focus on boys in their mid-teens. The tactic works not by technology but by shame: a child fears being blamed, judged, or punished far more than they fear the threat itself.

The good news is that awareness disarms the scheme. When kids can name the pattern — a sudden request for an intimate image, a demand, a threat to share it — they are far better equipped to stop, block the account, and tell a trusted adult. Just as important, they need to hear this message out loud: telling you will never get them in trouble. That single promise is often what separates a child who asks for help from one who suffers in silence.

Read more from Stay Safe Online about how sextortion works and what to do if it happens.

If a child discloses an experience like this, stay calm and thank them for telling you. Do not delete messages or evidence — preserve them. Stop all communication with the offender, block the account, and report it to the platform and to law enforcement. If there is any threat of immediate harm, contact local emergency services right away. Remind the child, again and again, that this is not their fault and that help is available.

Keep the conversation going. Online safety is not a single warning but an ongoing talk about what feels wrong and who they can come to. A child who understands the tactic and trusts the adult beside them is a child who can walk away from the trap.

If you have encountered a suspected predator online, report it through our secure form below. Every report gives investigators the evidence they need to protect another family.