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Sexting and nudes
Sharing nudes can happen. And if it does, emotions can run really high. Everything can feel very intense. So our advice is here to help you know your rights, the law, or what to do if something goes wrong.
What is sexting?
Sexting is when you send a sexual message, photo or video to someone else. It could be a picture of you, but sometimes people send pictures and videos of other people.
This could be to a friend, partner, or someone you don’t know.
This can involve:
- Photos or videos where you’re partly or completely naked, or in your underwear
- Posing in a sexual position
- Dick pics
- Talking about sexual things you’re doing or want to do
- Doing sexual things on a live stream
Is it illegal to send nudes?
I'm under 18
When you’re under 18 it’s against the law to send nudes or sexual videos of you to anyone else. It’s also against the law for anyone to save or share a nude or sexual video of you. Even if it’s a selfie or they’re under 18 too.
Will I get in trouble?
You can get in trouble if you threaten to share a nude, even if you don’t actually do it.
Only the police can decide if they’re going to charge you with an offence after sexting. But it’s important to remember that the law is there to protect you, not get you into trouble.
If you’re both under 18 and you’re in a healthy relationship, then it’s unlikely the police would want to prosecute either of you.
I'm over 18
Sexting between adults is legal. But it’s against the law to send a nude or any kind of sexual image or video to someone under 18.
Asking for or viewing sexual images of someone who’s under 18 is a crime.
It’s also against the law to send a nude or video of someone who was under 18 at the time, but is an adult now.
Sharing other people’s nudes
Sharing someone else’s nudes or sexual videos without their consent is against the law, even when they’re over 18. It can also be against the law to threaten to share someone’s nudes or videos.
If any of this worries or confuses you, you can always talk to us.
Someone's asking me to share nudes
If you’ve started chatting to someone, and you’re forming a connection, they might ask you to send them nudes or sexual videos of yourself. This might feel fun, or you might be worried about saying no. It might be what everyone your age says they’re doing.
However, it’s really important to stop and think before you make any decisions. What you share online can stick around for longer than you think, including photos, videos, and comments. It’s good to always keep this in mind.
And always remember – sharing nudes should always be consensual. No one ever has the right to make you do something without your consent.
Talking to someone online
People don’t always tell the truth online. They might be lying to you about why they’re chatting to you. It’s much easier to convince others you’re someone else than people think. They might use someone else’s photos to pretend to be someone else or tell you they’re a different age or gender than they actually are. They can also use technology to make themselves look and sound like a different person when they’re having a video chat. If you’re unsure if a profile is fake then you can talk to a trusted adult or to Childline about it.
Safety and privacy settings are important but remember that people can get round some of these. For example, people sometimes use other phones to take photos of nudes they’ve received. They could also add images of you into other videos and photos using AI or other technology.
Remember, there are people who may try to pressure, blackmail, catfish, or scam you. We’ve got advice to help you spot fake profiles and figure out who and what to trust online.
If you do start chatting to someone you’ve never met before, it’s a good idea to look out for these red flags:
- If they start flirting quickly, and what they’re saying feels quite intense
- If they ask you for nudes early on in your conversations
- If they try and get you to move to a more private platform, like WhatsApp
- If things seem too good to be true.
If someone won’t stop messaging you or asking you for nudes, blocking and reporting them can help to keep you and others safe.
Remember, trusting someone doesn’t mean you have to send or do anything you don’t want to do or you’re not sure about.
Feeling pressured
It’s not okay for someone to pressure you to send a nude, sending nudes should always be consensual. You might feel pressure because you think others are doing it, or because you’re worried about what will happen if you don’t.
Feeling pressured can include:
- feeling like you owe someone something
- worrying that they won’t like you as much if you don’t
- being asked over and over again
- not wanting to hurt someone’s feelings
- worrying about getting into trouble or being hurt if you don’t
- being offered money or a gift
- anything else that makes you feel like you have to send a nude.
Some people also get people to send them nudes so they can blackmail them by threatening to share their nudes online and with their family and friends. This is illegal and you can use our Report Remove tool to remove your nudes from the internet.
If someone is pressuring you to send nudes you could:
Explain how you feel
Try saying how you feel when you’re asked for a nude or sexual message. If someone doesn’t listen or you don’t feel able to, it can help to talk to us or an adult you trust.
Stop talking to them
You don’t have to talk to anyone that is making you feel uncomfortable or pressuring you.
Block and report them
If someone won’t stop messaging you or asking you for nudes, blocking and reporting them can help to keep you and other young people safe.
Someone's saying they'll share my nudes
If this is happening to you, it can feel really overwhelming, frightening, and confusing. We’re here to help you get through this. Always remember, nobody has the right to threaten, blackmail or try to manipulate you.
Sometimes people will use your nudes to try and make you send money or do things, this can be called sextortion and it’s not your fault if it’s happened.
If you’re being threatened it’s important you:
Don’t reply to threats
Don’t reply to someone trying to threaten or blackmail you, and don’t send more photos. If they ask for money, don’t pay them either. It can be scary, but it can help you to keep in control
Talk to an adult you trust
Talking about something like this might feel embarrassing or scary, but talking to someone you trust will help you know what to do next, and feel better supported. If you don’t know who to talk to, you can always talk to us.
Use Report Remove to get your nudes taken down from the internet
If you're under 18 and a nude image or video has been shared online, we can help you get it removed from the internet. Find out how to remove a nude image shared online.
Report what’s happened
If you’re under 18 and you’re being threatened you can make a report to CEOP. Making a report isn’t confidential but it does mean that they can help to stop what’s happening.
If you’re struggling or you don’t know what to do, you can always contact our counsellors.
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Can I ask someone for nudes?
When you’re attracted to someone, flirting, or you’ve been seeing someone for some time, sending nudes can be tempting. But sending nudes or asking someone for theirs can lead to people feeling pressured into doing something they’re not fully comfortable with.
If you want to ask for a nude, think about:
How the other person will feel
Being asked for a nude, especially when you don’t want to, can make a lot of people feel uncomfortable.
How old you both are
It’s important you know it’s against the law to ask someone who’s under 18 to send a nude, even if you’re under 18 as well.
Whether it will put pressure on the other person
Making someone feel bad for not sending a nude, even if you don’t mean to, is a type of pressure. If you’re not sure if someone would feel pressured, don’t ask.
Whether you trust this person
Do you trust that this person is who they say they are?
REMEMBER: Even if someone sends you a nude or sexual message, it’s never OK to share it without their permission.
I've shared my nude with someone who didn't want it
Sharing nudes, dick pics, videos or sexual messages with someone who doesn’t consent to receive them isn’t OK, even when you might be in a relationship with this person. And it can be against the law.
If you’ve shared a message or picture with someone who doesn’t want it:
- Apologise about what you’ve sent
- Stop contacting the person if they don’t want you to talk to them
- Don’t pressure the person to send images or messages back
- Talk to someone you trust about what happened
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