"We Live Day by Day Now:" A Qualitative Analysis of Minor-Focused Sextortion Victim-Survivor Impact Statements

Sextortion is a form of image-based sexual abuse in which an offender threatens to distribute a victim's intimate, sexual images, videos, or information unless the victim complies with the offender's demands. Sextortion crimes in which minors are targeted by adult strangers online continue to be a priority area for law enforcement. Despite growing awareness, there is a dearth of studies that investigate the psychological and emotional impact this specific form of sextortion has on youth victim-survivors and their parents, who are secondary victims of this crime. The current study utilized a sample of 29 victim impact statements from 9 federal court cases in which minor children were sextorted by stranger adults online to explore, in their own words, the reported psychosocial impacts on victim-survivors and their parents. Findings reveal shared themes across both groups, including trauma associated with disclosure, experiences of loss, personal transformation, and the challenges of moving forward after sextortion victimization.