The scenario
A counselor brings you a student who is being extorted over an intimate image. The student is a minor. The clock is the most aggressive variable in this playbook.
First 60 minutes
- Do not ask to see the image. Do not ask the student to send it to anyone.
- Contact the school counselor and a building administrator — never handle alone.
- Make the mandatory report: child protective services, law enforcement, and the parents (jurisdiction-specific order).
- Preserve evidence — screenshots of the threat messages, account handles, payment demands. Do not delete the originating account.
- Refer the student to NCMEC's Take It Down (US) or the Cybertip.ca takedown service (Canada) for image removal.
- Loop in the district counsel for school-side documentation.
Decisions to make
Image was shared on school accounts or devices
- — Yes: preserve, isolate, do not view further; counsel + law enforcement coordinate next steps.
- — No, only personal accounts: refer to NCMEC / Cybertip.ca; school role is supportive, not investigative.
Who to call
- Child protective services (mandatory report)
- Local law enforcement / FBI / RCMP
- NCMEC CyberTipline (US) — 1-800-843-5678
- Cybertip.ca (Canada)
Mandatory reporting note: Sextortion of a minor triggers mandatory child-abuse reporting in every US state and Canadian province. Make the report before sending any family communication.
FAQ
Should the parents always be told first?
In most jurisdictions, yes — but not always. If there is reason to believe a parent or guardian is involved in the abuse, child protective services and law enforcement come before family notification. Counsel and the school counselor make that call together, not alone.