Take a breath. This is fixable.

If a child is being threatened over images, they are the victim of a crime — not the one in trouble. Financial sextortion happens to tens of thousands of young people. There is a clear, calm set of steps below, and real help at the end. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911 now.

Right now — five steps, in order

Do not pay

Paying almost never makes it stop — it signals the victim will comply, and the demands usually continue. If money was already sent, that’s okay; keep going with the steps below.

Already paid? You’ve done nothing wrong. Preserve the payment record — it’s evidence.

Do not delete anything

Before blocking or closing anything, preserve it. Screenshot the messages, the threats, the demand for money, and the offender’s profile, username, and any links. Deleting removes the evidence investigators need.

Stop communicating with the offender

No replies, no negotiating, no explaining. Once evidence is saved, the young person should stop all contact — but not delete the account or thread.

Block, then report to the platform

After evidence is preserved, block the account and use the platform’s own reporting tool. Most major services have a dedicated path for threats and exploitation of minors.

Report to NCMEC and the FBI, and get images stopped

Report to the NCMEC CyberTipline and the FBI. If explicit images of a minor exist or were shared, use Take It Down to help stop their spread. Numbers and links are in the resources below.

Evidence to preserve tap to check off

Screenshots of every message and threatInclude dates and times if visible The offender’s username, profile, and display nameScreenshot the profile page before blocking The platform or app where it happenede.g. which social or messaging service Any payment demand or payment sentAmount, method, wallet or account, receipts Links, phone numbers, or emails the offender used

Where to report — real help

Immediate danger

Emergency

If the child is threatened with harm, or is talking about self-harm.

911

Exploitation report

NCMEC CyberTipline

The national center for missing & exploited children.

1-800-843-5678
report.cybertip.org

Stop image spread

Take It Down

Free NCMEC service to help remove or stop the spread of nude/partial images of a minor.

takeitdown.ncmec.org

Law enforcement

FBI

Report online crime and sextortion to the FBI.

ic3.gov
1-800-CALL-FBI

What to say to your child

“I’m really glad you told me. You’re not in trouble, and this isn’t your fault. We’re going to handle this together.”

Blame and panic make a child shut down — and offenders count on that shame to keep them paying and silent. Lead with relief that they came to you. Make it clear that the adult in the situation committed the crime, not the child.

Reassure them that telling you was the brave, right move, and that the threats — “I’ll send this to everyone” — are the offender’s pressure tactic, not a certainty. The reporting steps above exist specifically to stop that spread.

This is a first-response guide, not a reporting channel and not legal advice. It does not collect any information — the checklist lives only on your screen. To make an official report, use the resources above. For counseling support, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988) can help a young person in distress. If a child is in immediate danger, call 911.

SEXTORTION FIRST-RESPONSE · a DAYBREAK / ShieldScan / PDPC tool · working title, pending clearance · Born Between 2 Generals, LLC for America’s Future, Inc. · child-safety content is never paywalled