Should we pay to make the blackmail stop?

No. Paying almost never ends it — offenders take the payment as proof the threat works and demand more. Stop responding, preserve evidence, and report to CEOP and the police. In most financially-motivated sextortion cases, offenders give up quickly once contact stops.

My teenager sent an image and is now being threatened. What can we do?

Reassure them it is not their fault and they are not in trouble — this is sextortion, a crime. Do not pay or send more. Stop contact, save evidence, report to CEOP (ceop.police.uk) and the police, and use Report Remove (Childline + IWF) to take the image down. Childline (0800 1111) can support your child through it.

Is blackmailing a child illegal in the UK?

Yes. Blackmail is a criminal offence, and threatening to share intimate images is also specifically illegal. Where the victim is under 18 and images are involved, it is treated as child sexual abuse. Report it to the police (101, or 999 in an emergency) and to CEOP.

Immediate

Your Child Is Being Blackmailed Online

What to do if someone is threatening your child online — demanding money, images, or actions. Includes sextortion, the UK reporting routes, and why you should never pay.

If your child is in immediate danger, call 999

For urgent reports of online grooming, sextortion, or contact with an unknown adult, you can also report to CEOP. For child sexual abuse imagery, report to IWF.

What might be happening

Someone is threatening your child unless they do something — usually pay money, send images, or keep talking. A very common form is sextortion: an offender has (or claims to have) an intimate image and threatens to share it with friends and family unless the child pays or sends more. Offenders create intense panic and shame deliberately, because a frightened child is easier to control and less likely to tell an adult.

How serious is it?

This is serious and time-sensitive, but it is also a crime against your child and highly recoverable once an adult steps in. The threats feel overwhelming but are designed to; in the large majority of financially-motivated sextortion cases, offenders move on quickly once they stop getting a response. The priorities are: stop contact, do not pay or send anything more, preserve evidence, and report.

What to do first

Step 1

Reassure your child immediately and completely: they are not in trouble, it is not their fault, and you will help them through it. Their shame is the offender's main weapon.

Step 2

Do not pay and do not send anything more — paying or complying almost always leads to further demands, not the end of them.

Step 3

Stop all contact but do NOT delete anything: keep the messages, usernames, and profiles as evidence (screenshots plus the account details).

Step 4

Report to CEOP (ceop.police.uk) and the police (101, or 999 if your child is in immediate danger). If an intimate image of an under-18 is involved, use Report Remove (Childline + IWF) to get it taken down.

What to say

Phrases that help

"Thank you for telling me. You are not in trouble and we will get through this together."
"This person is a criminal and this is their fault, not yours. We're going to stop them."
"We are not going to pay or send anything. That's exactly what stops people like this."

What not to say

✗"How could you let this happen?" — blame confirms the child's fear and shuts them down.
✗"Just pay them so it goes away." — paying invites more demands and funds the crime.
✗"We'll keep this between us." — this needs reporting; secrecy protects the offender.

Settings to check

•Set the affected accounts to private and block the offender after evidence is saved.
•Turn on two-step verification (2FA) and change passwords in case the account was compromised.
•Review friend/follower lists for other unknown accounts and remove them.

When to escalate

Treat any threat to share intimate images, any demand for money, or any threat of violence as a police matter — call 999 if there is immediate danger, otherwise 101 and CEOP. If your child is very distressed or mentions self-harm, contact your GP and Papyrus HOPELINE247 (0800 068 4141) or Childline (0800 1111) straight away.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last reviewed: 2026-07-13 · This page is educational guidance, not a substitute for emergency services, safeguarding professionals, or legal advice.

This is practical educational content to support families. For case-specific concerns about a child's safety, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or your local safeguarding team.