More than one in 10 Australian teenagers surveyed have experienced sexual extortion, with most of those affected first targeted before turning 16, according to national research highlighted by Victorian Senator Michelle Ananda-Rajah.
The joint Australian Institute of Criminology and eSafety Commissioner study surveyed 1,953 young people aged 16 to 18 and found 11.3 per cent had experienced sextortion in their lifetime. Among those affected, 57.7 per cent had experienced it before the age of 16.
In a social media post drawing attention to the findings, Ananda-Rajah urged people experiencing the abuse to stop communicating with the offender, preserve evidence and seek help.
“If you or someone you know is experiencing sextortion, stop the chat, take screenshots, block and report the account, and seek support,” she wrote.
The research was published in February 2025, based on a survey conducted in mid-2024. Its findings describe respondents’ experiences up to that point, rather than the number of incidents occurring this year. Researchers also cautioned against applying the prevalence estimate to other age groups.
Sextortion involves threats to release intimate photographs or videos unless a person meets demands, which can include money, further intimate material or sexual contact. When children are targeted, it is a form of child sexual abuse.
The study found that 32.3 per cent of affected teenagers had experienced more than one instance of sextortion. Almost two-thirds — 64.6 per cent — had been targeted by someone they had met online but never encountered in person.
The material used to threaten victims was not always genuine. About two in five affected respondents, or 41.4 per cent, reported being extorted using digitally manipulated material.
There were also differences in the demands made of boys and girls.
Among victims, 79.3 per cent of boys reported financial demands, compared with 33.6 per cent of girls. Girls were more likely to face demands for additional intimate material: 59.5 per cent, compared with 18.3 per cent of boys.
The warning comes amid continuing scrutiny of how technology companies respond to sexual extortion.
In July 2026, eSafety reported receiving more than 2,000 sextortion complaints between July and December 2025. Young men aged 18 to 24 were the most affected group in those complaints, while investigators were also seeing younger teenagers being targeted.
The regulator identified shortcomings in the use of technology to detect recurring blackmail tactics and gaps in accessible reporting tools across several services. It also recorded improvements by some companies in detecting grooming and child sexual abuse material.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant urged platforms to strengthen their response.
“Better reporting pathways and faster response times to victim reports are also vital,” she said.
For people facing threats, official advice is to stop contact and avoid paying or sending further intimate material. eSafety warns that complying with demands can lead to further demands, rather than ending the abuse.
Victims should preserve evidence of threatening messages and the offender’s profile before blocking contact. They should avoid deleting their accounts, which could remove evidence, and tell someone they trust.
There is an important distinction when collecting screenshots: eSafety advises people not to screenshot nude or sexual images or videos of anyone under 18. Evidence can instead include the threats, usernames and account details.
People under 18, or adults reporting on behalf of a child, can report the abuse to the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation. Adults can also report sextortion through police or ReportCyber.
If intimate material has been shared online, victims can seek removal assistance through the eSafety Commissioner.
The regulator’s message to those being threatened is clear: the abuse is not their fault, and they do not have to deal with it alone.