FamilyAtlasStay with your child and tell them they are not to blame for someone threatening them. Do not pay, send more images or negotiate a promise of deletion. If there is immediate physical danger, call your local emergency number. In the United States, report child sexual exploitation to NCMEC’s CyberTipline and contact law enforcement; use the official resources below.
Preserve the threatening account details, messages and payment demands, but do not forward or download sexual images of a child. Report and block the threatening account; do not delete the profile or messages. If an intimate image is already on the original device, NCMEC’s Take It Down may help limit its spread on participating services. Do not download an image to use that tool. Keep support focused on safety and the child’s distress. A report is not a guarantee that every copy will disappear.
NCMEC: Sextortion: help and reporting · NCMEC: Take It Down: frequently asked questions · 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Help someone else
The parent concern
A child may delay asking for help because they fear punishment or shame. This guide prioritizes immediate support and official reporting. It is not a product comparison or a substitute for local professional help.
First: support the child and stop the demands
Say clearly that the person making the threat is responsible. Do not make the child handle the threatening account alone. Keep a trusted adult with them while you decide the next action.
NCMEC’s guidance explains sextortion and directs families to reporting support. Do not pay or provide more material in exchange for a supposed promise. Repeated demands need a safety response, not a new bargain.
Preserve useful information without spreading an image
Keep the account name, profile details, threats, dates and payment requests where you can do so safely. Do not send an intimate image to friends, school staff or a family group chat. Ask the reporting agency how to preserve relevant evidence.
Report the threatening account and block it. NCMEC says to keep the profile and messages rather than delete them. You do not need to keep communicating with the offender while making a report. Preserve details without forwarding sexual images of a child.
In the U.S., the FBI also accepts reports at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI. Use local law enforcement outside the U.S.; reporting resources and procedures vary by country.
NCMEC: Sextortion: help and reporting · FBI: Sextortion reporting and support
Use Take It Down only as directed
Take It Down can create a digital fingerprint from an image already on the original device without uploading that image to the service. Do not download or ask someone to send the image so you can submit it. If you do not have it, use CyberTipline reporting instead.
Eligibility depends on being under 18 when the image was taken, even if you are now an adult; the service is available worldwide. It covers participating platforms’ public or unencrypted services, not every website or private encrypted conversation. It cannot promise to remove every copy.
Do not leave the child alone with the distress
Ask directly whether they feel safe and whether they are thinking of harming themselves. If there is immediate danger, call emergency services. In the U.S., call or text 988 for crisis support, including help supporting someone else. Outside the U.S., use your local crisis service.
Arrange appropriate ongoing support with a qualified professional. There is no requirement to wait until the case is resolved before getting help.
What you can do right now
- Stay with your child; say the threat is not their fault.
- Do not pay, send more images or negotiate.
- Call local emergency services for immediate danger.
- Preserve threat and account details without sharing sexual images.
- Report and block the threatening account; keep its profile and messages.
- Report through NCMEC’s CyberTipline in the U.S. and local law enforcement.
- Use Take It Down only for files already on the original device.
- Seek crisis and ongoing support when needed.
A way to start the conversation
“I am glad you told me. You are not in trouble for asking for help. We will handle the threats together. Your safety matters more than any image or money.”
A suggested script to adapt, not a clinical intervention.
What technology cannot solve
No app can promise to retrieve every copy, identify every offender or end a threat automatically. Blocking alone does not replace reporting and emotional support.
Questions parents ask
Should we pay to stop the image being shared?
Do not pay or send more material. Use official reporting and safety support.
Should I download the image for Take It Down?
No. NCMEC says not to download or share images to submit them. Use the original device if the file is already there, or report through CyberTipline.
Should we delete the account immediately?
Report and block the threatening account, but keep the profile and messages. Do not download or forward a child’s sexual images to collect evidence.
Is this only for families in the U.S.?
Take It Down is available worldwide for eligible images taken when someone was under 18. U.S. law-enforcement and 988 resources are labeled here; use local police and crisis services elsewhere.
Sources and review
Provider documentation explains settings and eligibility. Professional guidance provides context, while our suggested family strategies are labeled separately. FamilyAtlas claims were checked against implementation, with release limits stated above.
- NCMEC — Sextortion: help and reporting safety · checked 2026-09-30
- NCMEC — Take It Down: frequently asked questions safety · checked 2026-09-30
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Help someone else safety · checked 2026-09-30
- FBI — Sextortion reporting and support safety · checked 2026-09-30
Next source review: 2026-12-30. Menus, eligibility and rollouts can change; follow the linked provider instructions if your screen differs.
Educational guidance, not medical advice. The cited professional guidance is separate from our suggested family strategies. This article has not had independent clinical review; seek qualified help for persistent concerns or urgent safety risks.
Written by FamilyAtlas; product descriptions are not independent product recommendations. No claim of medical or psychological review is made.