This guide explains what AI sextortion is, the warning signs parents should watch for, and the exact steps to take if a child is targeted.

What is AI sextortion? Predators turn an ordinary photo — a school picture, a sports photo, anything posted online — into a fake explicit image using AI, then threaten to share it unless a child sends money or real photos. The child doesn't have to do anything wrong for it to happen.

Reports are climbing fast. NCMEC has seen a 6,343% spike in AI-generated exploitation reports and now receives 100 sextortion reports a day.

Warning signs: withdrawal from family or friends, secrecy about phone activity, unexplained gifts or money from strangers, sudden distress or panic, and switching to private accounts.

What to do: if a child comes forward, stay calm, don't delete evidence, don't contact the person responsible, and report immediately to NCMEC (report.cybertip.org or 1-800-THE-LOST). Platforms must remove the content within 48 hours under the TAKE IT DOWN Act.

Download the guide for the exact conversations to have with your kids before it happens — and what to say in the first 60 seconds if it does.