Parents' guide — sextortion

Sextortion: what to do if your child is being blackmailed (2026)

If someone is threatening to share a sexual photo or video of your child unless they pay or send more, start here: do not pay, do not send anything else, and do not delete the messages — they are evidence. Tell your child to stop replying, keep screenshots, then block and report the account. This guide walks you through tonight, the free UK helplines to ring now, and what to do in the morning.

By the Safeinest team — written by parents, checked against what the apps really do · Published 14 November 2026

If it is happening tonight

Take one slow breath. What is happening has a name: sextortion. Someone is threatening to share a sexual image or video of your child unless they pay money or send more. It is a crime done to your child, not by them. Your child is not in trouble, and a calm parent sitting beside them is the single biggest help there is.

Hold on to a few simple rules tonight. Do not pay a penny. Do not send any more images. Tell your child to stop replying and to break off all contact. Keep the evidence before you block — screenshots of the messages, the username and any demand for money — then block the account on every app the person used. Do not delete the conversation.

Keep these free UK numbers where you can see them. They are open now.

• Childline, free on 0800 1111 — for your child, any hour.
• NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 — for you, the adult, when you are not sure what to do next.
• 999 — in an emergency, if your child is in danger right now.

Outside the UK, call your local emergency number or your country's child helpline.

Reassure first — the conversation

Before anything technical, your child needs to hear three things in plain words: it is not your fault, you are not in trouble, and this happens to many young people. Say them out loud, and say them more than once. Fear and anger close the door; a quiet, kind voice keeps it open.

Many children who are blackmailed tell no one, because they feel ashamed or scared of being judged. If your child came to you, they have already done the hardest part. If you found out another way, say "I am glad I know, and we will sort this out together." Then make the plan side by side, so they are not carrying it alone.

What to do with the phone

It is tempting to wipe everything away so it feels over. Please do not. The messages, the account and the images are evidence, and the people who can help — the police and the take-down tools — may need them.

So keep the phone, and keep it as it is. Take clear screenshots of the conversation, the username, the profile and any payment demand or link, so you have a copy even if the other person deletes their side. Only then block the account, and block it on every app the person used to reach your child. Do not confront the stranger yourself, and do not pretend to be your child to catch them out — leave that to the police.

Reporting it, and getting the image taken down

You do not have to handle this alone. Report it in two directions tonight.

1. Report to the app. Most apps have a report button for blackmail or threats — use it to report the account, not only to block it.
2. Report to the police. In the UK, call 999 if your child is in immediate danger, otherwise 101 for the non-emergency line. You can also report to CEOP, the police's child protection command, through its website. Keep the evidence for them.

To get an image taken down, there are free tools built for exactly this. In the UK, a young person under 18 can use Report Remove, run by Childline and the Internet Watch Foundation, to report a nude image of themselves so it can be found and removed from the internet. Internationally, Take It Down, run by NCMEC, works by matching the image's digital fingerprint so platforms can remove it. These are online report tools, so use them by name through their websites rather than looking for a phone number. The first steps are also in our guide on when a child is asked to send photos.

Tomorrow morning

The fear usually fades fast once the money and the contact stop. Blackmail threats are very rarely carried out — the person wants money or control, and when both dry up they move on to an easier target. Keep reminding your child of that over the next days.

Watch their mood closely tonight and tomorrow. Sextortion can leave a child feeling panic and deep shame, so stay near. If the person is someone from school, tell the school's designated safeguarding lead. And if you are ever worried your child might hurt themselves, ring Childline or the NSPCC, or your GP, straight away. If you are still working out who this person was, the signs of online grooming and what to do when a child is messaging a stranger online can help.

The numbers

Your child is not alone, and neither are you. These figures come from named sources.

Financial sextortion — where the threat is for money rather than more images — has risen sharply in recent years, and it often targets teenage boys. Many who stayed silent said they felt embarrassed or scared of being judged (Thorn). Your child telling you, or you finding out, has already broken that silence.

What to say to your child

You do not need perfect words. These are enough:

"This is not your fault, and you are not in trouble. People like this trick thousands of children — you were tricked, and that is on them, not you. We are not going to pay, and we are not going to send anything else. We will block them, report them, and get the image taken down together, and I am not going anywhere. We will get through this."

Say it slowly, and say it more than once tonight.

About this guide

This guide is published by the parent-led team behind Safeinest, a family-safety app. It is written to stand on its own: nothing above needs the app. If, later, you want to know what an app can and cannot do on an Android phone or an iPhone, the honest version is on our features page.