A contact who seemed trustworthy, a conversation that heats up, images shared in confidence, and then the demand for money in exchange for your contacts not seeing them. It may come from someone you know or from a fake profile created for the purpose. The first impulse, paying to make it stop, is precisely the one that does not work.
What offence it is
Sextortion is not an offence with a name of its own in the Criminal Code, but a conduct that fits into several depending on what happens. The threat to share the images in order to obtain something is an offence of threats (articles 169 and following of the Criminal Code) and, if what is demanded is money or an economic advantage, of extortion (article 243). And if the images are actually shared without your consent, even though you shared them voluntarily at the time, article 197.7 of the Criminal Code comes into play, punishing the disclosure of intimate images obtained with consent when that disclosure seriously undermines the person’s privacy. That you sent the photo does not entitle anyone to share it.
Why you must not pay
Paying does not close the problem, it prolongs it. Whoever extorts confirms that the method works and comes back for more, this time asking for a larger amount. The experience is consistent, the payment does not buy silence but a second demand. The way out is not to give in, but to cut off the channel, preserve the evidence and act through the legal route.
What to do from the first minute
Do not pay and do not keep the conversation going trying to buy time with concessions. Do not delete anything either. What now looks like awkward evidence is, in fact, your evidence. Keep the screenshots of the messages with the date visible, the profile or number they write from, the links, and any details of a payment already made. Block the sender after saving everything, not before. And report the matter to the National Police or the Guardia Civil, which have units specialising in cybercrime.
This is where the case crosses into what we work with every day, electronic evidence. Identifying who is behind a profile, establishing the content of the threats reliably and tracing the payments is technical work, and doing it well from the start makes the difference between a case that moves forward and one that goes nowhere. I set it out in why electronic evidence decides cases.
If the images have already been shared
The fact that they have already been published does not leave you without options. On one side there is the criminal action for the non-consensual disclosure. On the other, the removal, requiring the platforms to take down the content and asking for measures to stop it spreading. The sooner you act, the more the damage is contained. The matter of sharing intimate images is also dealt with in this article.
At the firm we handle these matters from cybercrime and criminal law, with the discretion they demand. If you are being threatened or something of yours has already been shared, you can write to us from the contact page.
Frequently asked questions
They threaten to share my photos, should I pay?
No. Paying does not stop the extortion, it confirms to the sender that the method works and usually brings a second demand. The effective course is not to give in, to preserve all the evidence and to report as soon as possible.
Is it an offence to share my intimate images if I sent them voluntarily?
Yes. That you shared the image does not entitle anyone to share it. Article 197.7 of the Criminal Code punishes disclosing without consent intimate images obtained with consent when that disclosure seriously undermines the person’s privacy.
What do I do with the messages, delete them?
Do not delete them, they are your evidence. Keep the screenshots with the date, the sender’s profile or number, the links and the details of any payment. Block the sender only after you have saved everything, and provide that material with the report.
They have already published the images, can I do anything?
Yes. As well as the criminal action for the non-consensual disclosure, the platforms can be required to remove the content and measures can be sought to stop it spreading. The sooner you act, the less the damage.