News · Criminal law explainer
Sextortion and online blackmail in Australia.
The Australian Federal Police continue to warn about financial sextortion, a form of online blackmail that has grown quickly and targets young people, particularly teenage boys. This note explains what sextortion is in law, which offences apply in the Commonwealth and in New South Wales, why a person who is targeted is a victim and not an offender, and what to do if it happens.
By Aaron Kernaghan · Published 3 September 2026
What is sextortion?
Sextortion is a form of blackmail. An offender, often posing online as someone else, persuades a person to send a sexual image or video, then threatens to share it with the person's family, friends, or contacts unless money is paid or more images are sent. Financial sextortion, where the demand is for money, has become the most common form.
The conduct is criminal on both fronts: the threat and demand, and, where the person targeted is under 18, the images themselves. The offender is committing serious offences. The person who is threatened is a victim.
What offences apply in the Commonwealth?
Where the internet or a phone is used, Commonwealth offences apply. Using a carriage service to menace, harass, or cause offence, and using a carriage service to make a threat, are offences under the Criminal Code. Where the person targeted is a child, offences relating to online child abuse material apply, and these carry heavy penalties.
Because many offenders operate from overseas, the AFP works with international partners to trace and disrupt these networks. The offences reach conduct connected to Australia even where the offender is abroad.
What offences apply in NSW?
The demand and threat can also amount to blackmail under section 249K of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW): an unwarranted demand made with a menace, with intent to obtain a gain or cause a loss. A threat to release private images to force payment is a clear example of a menace used to reinforce an improper demand.
Where images are shared or threatened to be shared, the offences about recording or distributing an intimate image without consent may also apply. The conduct usually breaches several offences at once.
Is the person who was targeted in trouble?
No. A person coerced into sending an image, and then threatened, is the victim of a crime. Police treat these matters that way. The fear of getting into trouble, or of images being seen, is exactly what offenders rely on to keep victims paying and silent.
The advice from the AFP and its child protection centre is consistent: stop responding, do not pay, keep the messages, and report. Paying rarely stops the demands and often invites more.
What should you do if it happens?
Stop all contact with the offender and do not pay. Take screenshots of the account, the messages, and any threats, because that material helps identify the offender. Report the matter to police and, where a child is involved, to the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation. Where an image has been shared or threatened, the eSafety Commissioner can help have it removed.
If you or your child has been contacted by police as a suspect in an online matter, that is a different situation and you should get advice before any interview. For victims, the priority is stopping the contact and reporting; for anyone accused, the priority is advice.
Frequently asked.
What is sextortion?
A form of online blackmail where an offender obtains a sexual image, often by deception, then threatens to share it unless money is paid or more images are sent. Financial sextortion, where money is demanded, is the most common form.
Is sextortion a crime in Australia?
Yes. It can involve Commonwealth offences of using a carriage service to menace or threaten, offences relating to child abuse material where a child is involved, and blackmail under section 249K of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW).
Will I get in trouble if I was targeted?
No. A person coerced into sending an image and then threatened is the victim of a crime, and police treat it that way. The fear of getting in trouble is what offenders exploit.
Should I pay?
No. The AFP advises against paying. Paying rarely stops the demands and often leads to more. Stop responding, keep the messages, and report.
What should I do if it happens?
Stop contact, do not pay, take screenshots of the account and messages, and report to police and, where a child is involved, the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation. The eSafety Commissioner can help remove shared images.
To speak to a criminal defence lawyer, call Aaron Kernaghan on 0421 717 019.
This article is written by Aaron Kernaghan, criminal defence lawyer at Good Legal Lawyers, as at 3 September 2026. It is commentary and reflects the personal opinion of the author only. It is not legal advice, it is not a substitute for advice on your own matter, and it does not purport to be accurate or complete. Any matter referred to may be before the court and any person charged is presumed innocent. For advice on a specific matter, contact Aaron Kernaghan on 0421 717 019 or contact the firm.
More criminal-law commentary by Aaron Kernaghan.