This site is a calm, practical guide for victims of blackmail, sextortion, and non-consensual intimate-image abuse — sometimes called “revenge porn.” Whether the images are real, were taken when you were younger, or were created with AI, what is happening to you has a name, and there is a clear path to getting it stopped.
What the other person is doing is a crime. Threatening to share your private images, demanding money or anything of value to stay quiet, or publishing intimate pictures without your consent all violate federal and state law. You did nothing wrong by being targeted. The fault lies entirely with the person making the threats.
Help exists, and much of it is free, confidential, and available 24/7. Below you will find a step-by-step guide for what to do right now, the laws that protect you, and trusted hotlines and tools — including free services that can remove your images from the internet.
What to do right now
Work through these in order. You do not have to do them all at once — start at the top.
Stop engaging and do not reply
Do not respond to threats, do not negotiate, and do not send more images. Cutting off contact removes the leverage the perpetrator is counting on. You are not obligated to answer them.
Do not pay
Paying rarely makes the threats stop — it usually signals you can be pressured for more. The FBI warns victims not to pay, and to avoid for-profit “recovery” services that charge fees to do what free tools and law enforcement already do.
Preserve the evidence
Before blocking anyone, save everything: screenshots of messages and threats, usernames and profile links, phone numbers, email addresses, payment demands, and timestamps. Keep email headers and transaction details. This evidence supports takedowns, police reports, and any later legal action.
Use free takedown tools
If you are an adult, StopNCII.org creates a secure fingerprint of your image on your own device — the image never leaves your phone or computer — and shares it with participating platforms to detect and block it. If the images were taken when you were under 18, use Take It Down from NCMEC, which works the same way and lets you stay anonymous.
Report the content to the platforms
Report the images and the account to every site or app where they appear. Under the federal TAKE IT DOWN Act, covered platforms must give you a way to request removal and must take the image down — plus identical copies — within 48 hours of a valid request. If a platform fails to act, you can file a complaint with the FTC at takeitdown.ftc.gov.
Report to law enforcement
File a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov, submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov, or call 1-800-CALL-FBI. If the victim is or was under 18, report to NCMEC’s CyberTipline at report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678. Reporting is free.
Contact your local police
For non-urgent reports, contact your local police or sheriff’s department to file a report and get a case number. A local report is often useful alongside federal reporting and for platform takedowns or later civil action. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
Get support — you do not have to do this alone
The CCRI Crisis Helpline at 844-878-2274 offers free, confidential, 24/7 help with documentation, takedowns, attorney referrals, and emotional support. RAINN’s hotline (1-800-656-4673) supports survivors of sexual violence. In emotional distress? Call or text 988, or text HOME to 741741, anytime.
Consider your legal options
You may be able to sue the person who shared or threatened to share your intimate images. Federal law lets victims recover damages — including fixed damages of $150,000 — plus attorney’s fees, and obtain court orders to take the images down. A hotline like CCRI can refer you to an attorney.
Get your images removed
These free services fingerprint your image on your own device and share only the fingerprint — never the image — with participating platforms to detect and block it.
StopNCII.org
Creates a secure hash of your intimate image on your device and works with major platforms to detect and remove matches. The image never leaves your device.
stopncii.org →Take It Down (NCMEC)
Run by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Same on-device hashing, free and anonymous, for images taken when the person was under 18.
takeitdown.ncmec.org →FTC — TAKE IT DOWN Act Complaint
Platforms must remove a reported intimate image and its copies within 48 hours. If one fails to comply, report it to the Federal Trade Commission.
takeitdown.ftc.gov →Report to the FBI & law enforcement
Reporting is free. You can use more than one channel. If a minor is involved, report to NCMEC.
Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
File an online complaint about online blackmail, sextortion, fraud, and other internet crime.
ic3.gov → complaint.ic3.gov →Call the FBI / Submit a tip
Speak to the FBI or submit an electronic tip 24/7.
1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) tips.fbi.gov →Find your local FBI field office
For serious or ongoing threats, you can contact the field office nearest you directly.
fbi.gov field offices →NCMEC CyberTipline
The national channel for reporting the online exploitation of children, including sextortion and child sexual abuse material.
1-800-843-5678 report.cybertip.org →Your local police
File a report with your local police or sheriff to get a case number. In immediate danger, call 911.
911 (emergencies)Your State Attorney General
Many state AG offices accept consumer and cybercrime complaints. Use the locators to find yours.
usa.gov/state-attorney-general → NAAG complaint directory →Talk to someone — free & confidential
These hotlines are staffed by people trained to help. Many are available 24/7.
CCRI Crisis Helpline
The Cyber Civil Rights Initiative offers free help with documentation, takedowns, attorney referrals, and emotional support.
1-844-878-2274 1-844-878-CCRI · cybercivilrights.orgRAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline
Free, confidential support from the nation’s largest anti-sexual-violence organization.
1-800-656-4673 1-800-656-HOPE · rainn.org988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
If you are overwhelmed or in emotional distress, you can reach a counselor any time by call or text.
Call or text 988 988lifeline.orgCrisis Text Line
Prefer texting? Connect with a trained crisis counselor by text message.
Text HOME to 741741 crisistextline.orgThe laws that protect you
Blackmail and image abuse are crimes under federal and state law. These are some of the protections that apply.
TAKE IT DOWN Act of 2025
Pub. L. No. 119-12 (signed May 19, 2025); platform-removal mandate effective May 19, 2026
Makes it a federal crime to publish — or threaten to publish — non-consensual intimate images, including AI-generated “deepfakes,” and requires online platforms to remove a reported image and its copies within 48 hours of a valid request. The “threat to publish” part directly reaches sextortion and blackmail.
Interstate communication of extortionate threats
18 U.S.C. § 875(d)
Makes it a federal crime to send any message across state lines or online threatening your reputation or property to extort money or anything of value. A “pay me or I’ll release your images” demand falls squarely within this law, regardless of your age.
Stalking / cyberstalking
18 U.S.C. § 2261A
Covers repeated online conduct — sustained harassment, repeated threats to release images, or monitoring — that puts you in reasonable fear or causes substantial emotional distress. A pattern of sextortion threats can be charged as cyberstalking.
Civil action for disclosure of intimate images
15 U.S.C. § 6851
Lets you sue, in your own federal lawsuit, anyone who discloses or threatens to disclose your intimate image without consent. You can recover actual damages or a fixed $150,000, plus attorney’s fees, and get a court order — including a restraining order — to take the images down.
State NCII / “revenge porn” laws
All 50 states & D.C. (per the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative)
Every U.S. state and the District of Columbia now makes it a crime to share someone’s private, sexually explicit, or nude images without consent. The exact rules and penalties vary by state, and many states also cover AI-generated deepfakes.
Sexual exploitation of children (production)
18 U.S.C. § 2251
When the victim was under 18 when an image was made, coercing or enticing that image is one of the most serious federal crimes, carrying a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison. The image itself is child sexual abuse material.
CSAM distribution, receipt, and possession
18 U.S.C. § 2252 (see also § 2252A)
Makes it a federal crime to share, threaten to share, receive, or possess sexually explicit images of anyone under 18. In a sextortion case involving a minor, the perpetrator’s possession and threats are themselves serious felonies.
Sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion
18 U.S.C. § 1591
Applies when someone uses threats — such as threatening to expose your images — to coerce a person into commercial sexual activity. For victims under 18, no proof of force or coercion is required, and penalties are severe.
If you feel ashamed or scared, please know this: you are not the one who did something wrong, and feeling this way does not mean you are weak — it means someone targeted you. Thousands of people have been through this, gotten the images removed, and come out the other side. Confidential help is one call or text away.
This website provides general information only and is not legal advice. Laws and procedures vary by state and change over time, and your situation may have specific details that require professional guidance — consider speaking with an attorney or a victim-support hotline. If you are in immediate danger or facing a threat of violence, call 911 right away.