What it is:
A deliberate process where an adult (or older youth) builds trust with a child to prepare them for sexual exploitation.
How it happens:
- Giving attention, gifts, compliments, or “special” status
- Pretending to be a friend, mentor, or romantic interest
- Slowly crossing boundaries (sexual talk, secrecy, “don’t tell”)
- Normalising sexual content or behaviour
- Isolating the child from parents or trusted adults
Key legal point:
👉 Grooming itself is a crime, even before any sexual images, contact, or abuse occur.
Intent matters, not whether the child “agreed” or understood.
Sextortion of minors
What it is:
Using sexual images, videos, or messages of a child to threaten, blackmail, or control them.
How it happens:
- Threats to share images with family, school, or online
- Demands for more images, sexual acts, money, or silence
- Fear-based coercion (“If you don’t do this, I’ll expose you”)
Key legal point:
👉 Sextortion of a minor is often charged as child sexual abuse, child sexual exploitation, and child pornography offences — even if the images were self-produced.
A child cannot legally consent.
How they usually connect
In many cases:
- Grooming happens first (trust + manipulation)
- Child is pressured into sharing images
- Sextortion follows (threats + control)
But sextortion can also happen without grooming, for example:
- Hacked accounts
- Fake profiles
- Stolen images
Important truths
- Children are never at fault
- “They agreed” is legally meaningless
- Silence and shame are tools of the offender
- Early reporting can stop escalation and protect others
If a child may be at risk
Immediate steps (general guidance):
- Do not confront the offender directly
- Preserve evidence (messages, usernames, dates)
- Report to:
- Local police or child protection services
- A child exploitation reporting body (varies by country)
- Ensure the child has emotional support and knows they’re not in trouble
