What Is 'Sextortion' – And How Can You Keep Your Children Safe Online?
Children are being blackmailed online using intimate pictures in a disturbing crime known as 'sextortion'.
With cases on the rise, the National Crime Agency has launched a new campaign to raise awareness and help families stay safe. Here's what every parent, grandparent and carer needs to know.
What is 'sextortion'?
Sextortion is a form of online blackmail. Criminals trick victims into sharing sexual images or videos of themselves, and then use those images to threaten, manipulate or extort the person, often demanding money or more explicit material.These crimes are frequently carried out by organised groups abroad, operating from call centres or using paid actors to pose as someone the victim may be romantically interested in.Many victims are coerced into performing sexual acts on webcam, unaware they are being recorded. The footage is then used to blackmail the victim, with threats to share it online or with their family and friends.
Why would a child share intimate images?
It's easy to judge, but not all children are coerced. Many share images because they want to impress, flirt, or feel included.Sometimes they think they're in a trusting relationship. Others may feel peer pressure, or worry about being excluded if they don't join in.Regardless of the reason, a child is never to blame if they are blackmailed online.
How can parents and carers talk about this?
Marc recommends regular, non-judgemental conversations about online behaviour. You don't need to be an expert, just start with stories from the news, or ask what your child thinks.If your child is reluctant to open up, make sure they know what warning signs to look out for:Red Flags for Online BlackmailMoving too fast: Someone quickly forms a close 'connection'.Asking for personal details: Like where they live or go to school.Sending sexual images: Or asking for one in return.Pressure and anxiety: Making them feel scared or guilty."Even if your child doesn't open up straight away, giving them the tools to spot danger could protect them down the line," Marc says.
What should you do if sextortion happens?
Steps to Take if Your Child Is a VictimReassure them - let them know they've done the right thing by telling you — and it's not their fault.Don't respond to threats - stop all communication with the blackmailer.Block the account - on all platforms used by the blackmailer.Keep evidence - save screenshots, messages, or usernames that could help police.Report it:📞 Police, external (101 or 999 in emergencies)🌐 CEOP, external (if the child is under 18)Get images taken down:Use Report Remove, external by Childline and the Internet Watch Foundation for under-18s.
What about adult victims?
A BBC viewer, Jane, emailed to say she received a threatening email claiming to have hacked her webcam while she visited adult websites — something she insists never happened. The sender demanded £1,400 in cryptocurrency.Marc reassures victims that this is a common scam:"Scammers are banking on fear. It's incredibly unlikely that they'll have access to your device or any real evidence. If they did, they wouldn't waste time chasing small sums from ordinary people."While it may feel real, especially when family members are mentioned, it's important not to panic:If You've Been Targeted as an AdultDelete the email – Do not engage or respond.Report the scam – Forward the email to: report@phishing.gov.ukIf you've paid, report it to Police on 101 and contact your bank. Under the new Reimbursement Model, you may be entitled to get your money back.
More Support and Resources
If you or someone you know has been affected by online blackmail or sextortion, help is available:🔗 BBC Action Line – Online Safety🔗 CEOP – Child Exploitation and Online Protection, external🔗 Childline Report Remove, external🔗 National Cyber Security Centre – Report a Scam, external🔗 Resources for children - BBC Teach
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The Guardian
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Frederick Forsyth obituary
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The skill of the book was that its pace and seemingly forensic detail encouraged readers to suspend disbelief and accept that not only was the plot real, but that the Jackal – an anonymous English assassin – almost pulled it off. In fact, at certain points, the reader's sympathy lies with the Jackal rather than with his victim. It was a publishing tour de force, winning the Mystery Writers' of America Edgar award for best first novel, attracting a record paperback deal at the Frankfurt book fair and being quickly filmed by the US director Fred Zinnemann, with Edward Fox as the ruthless Jackal. Forsyth was offered a flat fee for the film rights (£20,000) or a fee plus a percentage of the profits – he took the flat fee, later admitting that he was 'pathetic at money'. 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These included The Fourth Protocol (1984), which had a cameo role for the British spy-in-exile Kim Philby and was also successfully filmed, with a screenplay by Forsyth and starring Michael Caine and a pre-Bond Pierce Brosnan and, against type, The Phantom of Manhattan (1999), a sequel to Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera. Nothing, however, was to match the impact of The Day of the Jackal and when a Guardian journalist spotted a copy in a London flat used by the world's most wanted terrorist, Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, or 'Carlos', in 1975, the British press dubbed him Carlos the Jackal, with no need to explain the reference. Born in Ashford, Kent, Frederick was the son of Phyllis and Frederick Sr, shopkeepers at 4 North Street – his mother's dress business operated on the ground floor and his father sold furs on the first floor. He was educated at Tonbridge school, where supportive teachers and summer holidays abroad ensured that Frederick excelled at French, German and Russian. 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