Death by DM: The Truth About Online Sextortion

Maintaining a good, trusting relationship with your children is the best defense against online predators. Talk about things openly, discuss how they spend their time on devices and who they talk to, set good limits on device usage, and make it safe for them to come to you anytime about anything they see or encounter online. Reassure them you are WITH them and FOR them as they navigate online spaces and eager to assist them in any challenge, no matter what was done to them or what they did.

Don’t trust big tech, social media, gaming systems, or apps to protect your children!  Learn and use the safety tools they provide, but prioritize your relationship with your child and practices in the home as the primary safety system.

Help your children be safe digital citizens. Teach them to only interact online with people they know in real life. Teach them the dangers of sharing personal information and pictures online.

Find practical tips for talking to your children and establishing safeguards in your home here: https://www.protectyoungeyes.com/blog-articles/tricky-people-stranger-danger-in-the-digital-age

See the Learn More section below for additional information.

The most important thing to know is that it is NOT your fault. The blackmailer is to blame, NOT you. Even if you made a choice you regret, what they are doing is a crime.  You can get past this.

Immediate Action Steps

• Do Not Delete Anything: Save all messages, chat logs, profile URLs, and images, as this evidence is critical for identifying the perpetrator.  These are helpful in locating and prosecuting the blackmailers




• Do Not Pay or Send More Images: Cooperating with the predator rarely stops the harassment and often leads to more demands




• Call Local Police or the FBI: Contact your local law enforcement or a local FBI field office or file a report online at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI.




• Report to NCMEC: Contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or report to their CyberTipline at cybertipline.org.



• Block the User: Block the perpetrator on the platform where they are communicating.

Don’t panic. If images of you were released on other platforms, use the Take It Down services provided by NCMEC to get them removed.  https://takeitdown.ncmec.org/

Fight for strong federal laws to hold technology platforms accountable when predators access youth online.

Tell Washington to prioritize the fight against child sextortion!  Sign our petition here:  https://www.allgirlsallowed.org/petition