Glossary · Safety and consent
Sextortion
Blackmail using real or fake intimate recordings to force someone to pay money, provide additional material, or perform sexual acts.
Sextortion is the blackmail of a person using intimate images or videos, combined with the threat of sending them to family, employers, or the public unless money is paid or additional material is provided. The material may be real, stolen, or completely fake. The word is made up of the English words „sex” and „extortion”.
Why performers are a particular target
For people who perform publicly, the leverage usually does not lie in the material itself, which is published anyway. It lies in the connection. Blackmailers threaten to link the stage name to the real name, employer, or place of residence. Anyone who performs discreetly as a side job is particularly vulnerable to this.
A second pattern begins before entering the industry: During an alleged casting, „test photos” without clothing are requested in advance. Reputable agencies do not need such images for an application. Anyone who still asks for them is collecting material, not building a portfolio.
Time pressure is also typical. Blackmailers set deadlines of just a few hours or send a list of contacts from your personal circle to make their threat appear credible. Some blackmail messages are mass mailings without any real material. You do not have to find out whether that is the case for you; that is the police’s job.
The first few hours: what to do
- Do not pay. Paying does not end the blackmail; it confirms that pressure works. In many cases, the next demand follows.
- Do not send any more material and do not negotiate. Every reply provides the blackmailer with information.
- Secure evidence. Take screenshots of the messages showing the date and time, profile names, profile addresses, telephone numbers, and payment details such as account numbers or wallet addresses. Do not delete the chat history.
- Block the contact after securing everything.
- Report it to the police. You can do this at any police station and, in many federal states, through an online police reporting portal. Blackmail is a criminal offense, and distributing intimate recordings without consent may also be a criminal offense.
- Report it to the platforms. Social networks and messengers have their own reporting channels for blackmail and non-consensual intimate content. If material appears, a takedown can help.
The detailed procedure is described in the article Leaks and blackmail: how to respond correctly right away.
Do not deal with this alone
Blackmail works through isolation: The perpetrator relies on you not speaking to anyone out of shame. Advice centers for digital violence are familiar with these cases, help you secure evidence, and accompany you when reporting it. The nationwide helpline for women experiencing violence is available around the clock. If you are booked through our agency, let us know. If the material comes from a production, the production company, as the rights holder, may be able to take action against its publication.
Prevent it without hiding
Keep your performer identity and private life strictly separate: use a separate email address and telephone number, and keep private profiles locked. Do not send intimate images to anyone you do not know or to any provider that requests them as part of an application. What can realistically be achieved in terms of anonymity is explained in the entries on Doxxing and metadata.
An open question about this?
Terms explain the what, but not always how it applies to your own situation. If you want to know what this specifically means for you, ask us — it does not have to become an application. Many answers can already be found in the frequently asked questions.