so basically i was in a complicated relationship with someone. we never officially dated but we talked a lot. One day at school he came up to me and threatened that if i didn't send him nudes that he would do something to me. That night, i was at home and he was texting me and online harrasing me. i eventually gave in and sent him an ass pick. not my full ass just the top. but then he screenshoted it and said if i don't send him a picture of my vagina then he will send the picture about. i then told my parents and said i didn't send him anything. Me and my parents told him to get rid of the photo otherwise we will call the police. he said he did and then everything was fine. until about 4 weeks later. i get told that he has been sending around the photo. I haven't told my parents as they don't think the photo is mine and haven't seen it. I am scared and need advice. my parents don't take things easily. if anyone has any help please do.
Sam
Hi there,
It's never okay for anyone to threaten or pressure you into sending nudes, whether you met them online or in real life. Whoever it is, it’s against the law for them to share nudes of you when you’re under 18. If you’ve found out someone is sharing your nudes, then there are ways to get support.
If you are under 18, you can report any images, videos or URLs with nudes of you to Report Remove. Making this confidential report will mean the IWF (Internet Watch Foundation) can take down your nudes from anywhere they’re posted online. They’ll also be able to stop them being posted publicly online in the future. Childline won’t see anything you report but will be here to support you with it.
You did the right thing to ask this person to delete the nude, and it’s okay to tell them to do this again. There is always the option of reporting sexual abuse and online grooming to CEOP, who are a law enforcement agency. They are there to help keep children and young people safe online and will want to investigate what’s happening. We’ve got lots of advice on what to do if nudes are being shared around as well.
It's important to remember that you shouldn’t have to cope with this alone. If you’re not ready to tell your parents or carers, it can help to think about other adults you trust. You can also speak to a Childline counsellor any time about what’s happened.
Lots of young people talk about this happening to them, including being blackmailed. This is when someone threatens to share things about you if you don’t do what they say. They might try to use nudes you’ve shared before or claim that they’ve got nudes of you. Blackmail is a kind of abuse and it’s against the law, it’s not your fault. When someone starts threatening you then it’s important to stop responding, take a breath and get support. We’ve got lots of advice to help.
Take care,
Sam
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