What is 'blackmail'?
Blackmail is the demand of payment or another benefit from someone in return for not revealing compromising or damaging information about them.
Our research found that many perpetrators blackmail victims and threaten to expose their sex worker status by demanding payment or further sexual acts, this would be considered blackmail.
Example case studies
To put this into context, here are some example case studies of how this might play out in real-life scenarios.
Cara’s ex-boyfriend has taken screenshots of her sexual images and videos from her AdmireMe page and has threatened to expose these to her friends and family if she does not take him back.
Christine has an AdultWork profile, and has been seeing a regular client for the last year. Christine shared that she owes this client some money for a reason unknown, however, the client is now blackmailing Christine to pay him the money. If Christine is unable to pay the client is threatening to expose her AdultWork content to her close friends and family. The client continues to threaten Christine as he sends her screenshots of her friend's list on Facebook.
Sammy's boss has found out that they work part-time as an escort by finding their profile on an escort agency site. He says that if Sammy does not perform sexual acts for him, he will expose Sammy's escort work.
Is it against the law?
Blackmail is a very serious crime in the UK and carries very hefty prison sentences should someone be found guilty.
What to do if you are being blackmailed or threatened
You haven’t done anything wrong and what’s happened is not your fault. You are not alone and we are here to help you. We know it’s easier said than done but try to keep calm and follow this advice.
The evidence can include screenshots of messages where the threats have been made, screenshots of the profile they are using, usernames and times, and dates of when the messages were sent.
We understand that the first reaction you may have is to want to delete all the content immediately. This is your choice, but we do advise that if you want to seek legal action.
After you have collected all the screenshots and evidence you can, we advise blocking all communication with the perpetrator, reporting any accounts they may have used to contact you or share the content on.
Blackmail is a serious crime in the UK and you do have the option to report what has happened to the police. You can get in touch with the police by calling their non-emergency 101 number or the online reporting form for your police force.
Make sure you keep a record of your log/case number so the police can quickly access your details if you want to add additional information or get an update on the investigation. It will also save you having to repeat what has happened over and over which may be distressing for you.
If you are in any immediate threat of physical danger or risk, call 999.
If you're not already a member of National Ugly Mugs, you can create a free account and find support, safety advice, and a range of tools. This allows sex workers to report harm, crime, or violence, please find more information about the tools here.
NUM Checker. The checker tool can screen email addresses, phone numbers, usernames/profile handles, and vehicle reg plates.
NUM Alerts. Members can sign up to receive alerts of reports in your local area.
NUM Reports. NUM has a dedicated casework team to which incidents can be reported to and managed.
StopNCII.org works to digitally hash private sexual images and videos to prevent these from being shared across partnered platforms, currently, this is Facebook and Instagram.
Go to StopNCII.org here to find out more information about how this works.
We understand how distressing online crimes can be and encourage all victims to reach out and get extra support if they need it. You’re not alone and help is out there.