Revenge Porn And Sextortion Reports Have More Than Doubled This Past Year

Australians reporting being victim of revenge porn and sextortion have more than doubled in the past year.

The eSafety Commission said it received almost 175 complaints a week about image-based abuse – a 117 per cent increase from 2021-22.

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Of the reports, three in four were made against males sharing sexual images or videos without consent.

A quarter of the total reports were made by Victorians, many by teenagers falling victim of sextortion scams run by organised crime syndicates.

Speaking to the Herald Sun, Monash University criminology expert Asher Flynn said another problem arising is the ability to use artificial intelligence to create fake images.

“It’s becoming easier to create these fake images as well, you can download an app and do it, as opposed to having any technological skills … it almost makes anyone a potential victim,” Professor Flynn said.

Revenge porn is the term coined to sometimes describe image-based abuse because people do it to hurt their victim. Broadly, image-based abuse is when someone shares or threatens to share an intimate photograph or video of a person without consent.

People can report online harm to the eSafety Commission here.

People can also reach out to a number of services if needing support:
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800

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