Someone is using photos to threaten us
This has a name: sextortion. It happens to thousands of kids. It is not your child's fault, and there are steps that work.
- Tell your child they are not in trouble. Say it first, before anything else. Shame is what keeps kids silent and it is what the person threatening them is counting on.
- Do not pay. Not money, not gift cards, not more images. Paying has never made it stop. It always brings another demand.
- Do not delete anything. Not the messages, not the account, not the app. That is the evidence.
- Screenshot everything. Usernames, profile links, the messages, dates and times. Save it somewhere off the phone.
- Stop replying, but do not block yet — blocking can cut off information investigators need. Just stop responding.
- Report it. 1-800-843-5678 or report.cybertip.org
Getting images taken down
takeitdown.ncmec.org is free and works for anyone under 18. You do not upload the image anywhere — it creates a digital fingerprint on your own device.
It works for AI-generated images too. If someone made a fake explicit picture of your child, federal law now requires platforms to remove it within 48 hours of a valid notice.
If your child is in crisis
Sextortion has led children to harm themselves. If your child is in distress, stay with them. Call or text 988. If they are in immediate danger, call 911.
Find local reporting guidance
Contact local law enforcement and use your state’s reporting guidance for suspected child abuse or exploitation. In immediate danger, call 911.