us Sexual violence & highly sensitive situations

What to do if…
someone threatens to expose intimate images, messages, or sexual information to control you

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: 4 August 2026 Last reviewed: 17 August 2026 Editorial policy USA guide

Short answer

Move to a safer place and call 911 if the person is nearby, has threatened physical harm, or anyone is in immediate danger. Do not send money, more intimate material, passwords, or account access; contact someone you trust and a specialist support service.

Do not do these things

Do not pay, send gift cards, or provide more intimate images or sexual information in response to demands.
Do not share passwords, verification codes, or access to your email, phone, cloud storage, or social media accounts.
Do not meet the person alone or confront them in person.
Do not forward intimate images or videos to friends, relatives, or support workers.
Do not rush to delete your accounts or publicly respond to the threat while you are panicking.
Do not assume that previously sharing something willingly gave anyone permission to expose it or use it to control you.

What to do now

Reach the earliest safe pause. If the person can reach you offline, go somewhere safer, stay near someone you trust, and call 911 if there is an immediate threat of harm.
Tell one trusted person what is happening. Ask them to stay with you, help you contact support, or help you secure your accounts. If you are under 18, tell a trusted adult as soon as you safely can.
Stop bargaining or sending anything further. Before blocking or muting the person, make sure you have their username, profile link, and any information you may need to identify the account.
If it feels safe, save screenshots of the threat, demands, username, profile link, and dates in a secure place without downloading or forwarding intimate files.
Use a device the person cannot access to change the password for your main email account first, then other important accounts. Turn on multi-factor authentication, review account recovery details, sign out unfamiliar sessions, and stop unwanted location sharing.
Contact RAINN for confidential support or the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative for specialist image-abuse support. You can begin by saying that someone is threatening to expose intimate material or sexual information to control you.
If an intimate image or video has been posted, use the platform’s process for reporting nonconsensual intimate content. Covered platforms generally must remove qualifying content, and known identical copies, within 48 hours after receiving a valid removal request. If a covered platform has no usable removal process or has not acted within that period, you can report the platform at the Federal Trade Commission’s Take It Down portal. The FTC portal does not remove the image itself.
If you were 18 or older when an intimate image or video was created and already have the file on your device, check whether StopNCII can create a digital fingerprint that participating platforms can use to detect copies.
If the image or video was taken when you were under 18, use NCMEC’s Take It Down service only with a file already on your device. Do not download the file or ask anyone to send it to you; contact the CyberTipline for help instead.
You do not have to decide immediately whether to report the person to law enforcement. A specialist advocate can help you consider that option without pressuring you.

What can wait

You do not need to decide now whether to contact law enforcement or a lawyer, confront the person, explain the threat to everyone they named, leave work or school, end a relationship, or delete every account. Focus first on immediate safety, trusted support, account security, and stopping further demands.

Important reassurance

This threat is not your fault, including if you created or previously shared the material willingly. Paying or complying cannot guarantee that the person will stop. Pausing, involving trusted support, and reducing their access to you can weaken the urgency and isolation they are trying to create.

Scope note

This guide covers immediate first steps only. Later decisions about reporting, removal requests, workplace or school contact, protective measures, and legal options may require help from a specialist advocate or qualified professional.

Important note

This is general information, not legal, medical, therapeutic, financial, or other professional advice. If you or someone else is in immediate danger in the United States, call 911 or move to a safer place and ask someone you trust to call.

Additional Resources

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

Support us