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.

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.

หากเด็กตกอยู่ในอันตรายเฉียบพลัน โทร 999

สำหรับการล่อลวงทางออนไลน์หรือการขู่กรรโชก แจ้ง CEOP (https://www.ceop.police.uk)

สิ่งที่อาจกำลังเกิดขึ้น

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.

เรื่องนี้ร้ายแรงแค่ไหน?

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.

สิ่งที่ต้องทำก่อน

ขั้นตอนที่ 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.

ขั้นตอนที่ 2

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

ขั้นตอนที่ 3

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

ขั้นตอนที่ 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.

สิ่งที่ควรพูด

"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."

สิ่งที่ไม่ควรพูด

✗"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.

การตั้งค่าที่ต้องตรวจสอบ

•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.

เมื่อใดควรขอความช่วยเหลือเพิ่ม

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

ตรวจสอบล่าสุด: 2026-07-13

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