sextortion

[seks-tawr-shuhn]

noun

1. criminal behavior in which a perpetrator illicitly obtains sexually compromising material, such as images, and then threatens to publish it or harm the victim in other ways unless further material or a sum of money is surrendered.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sextortion¹

First recorded in 1945–50; sex ¹ ( def. ) + (ex)tortion ( def. )

Example Sentences

It says: "Prince Group Transnational Crime Organisation profits from a litany of transnational crimes including sextortion - a type of fraud involving the solicitation for eventual blackmail of sexually explicit materials, often from minors - money laundering, various frauds and rackets, corruption, illegal online gambling, and the industrial-scale trafficking, torture, and extortion of enslaved workers in furtherance of the operation of at least 10 scam compounds in Cambodia."

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The Treasury said Prince also profited from other scams, including sextortion—in which victims are blackmailed over sexually explicit materials, often created by artificial intelligence—as well as corruption, illegal gambling and human trafficking.

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He laid out the mechanics of sextortion with a matter-of-fact ease.

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Ola worked alone, but other cases show how sextortion in Lagos has evolved into more organised networked operations - gangs run with leaders, hierarchies and pooled resources, designed to maximise profit.

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The leader, Ghost, said they were mainly conducting financial scams, mostly romance, not sextortion, as he was a "God-fearing person".

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