How to Report Online Sextortion and Non-Consensual Image Sharing in the Philippines

This article explains, in Philippine context, how to recognize the crimes, where and how to report them, what laws apply (for adults and for children), what evidence to preserve, takedown and privacy remedies, and what to expect procedurally. It is general information, not legal advice.

1) First things first: if it’s happening to you right now

Do not pay. Paying rarely stops the threats and can make you a repeat target.
Stop all direct contact with the extorter; keep all messages as evidence.
Preserve evidence (see Section 6).
Secure your accounts: change passwords, turn on 2-factor authentication, review recovery emails/phone numbers, log out of other sessions.
If there’s an immediate safety risk, dial 911 (Philippine emergency number).
If a child is involved, treat it as an urgent child-protection and cybercrime matter. Do not forward or store any sexual images of a minor—mere possession is a crime. Go straight to law enforcement (see Section 4).

2) What conduct are we talking about?

Sextortion (adult or child)

Blackmail using nude/sexual images or chats—e.g., “Send money or I’ll post/share your photos.” It commonly involves hacked accounts, romance scams, or threats to send images to family, classmates, or employers.

Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery (NCII)

Also known as “image-based sexual abuse” or “revenge porn”: creating, sharing, or threatening to share nude/sexual images without permission—even if the image was originally taken with consent.

Deepfakes and manipulated media

AI-generated or edited sexual images placed on your face/body, circulated without consent.

3) What Philippine laws apply?

Multiple laws can—and often should—be used together depending on the facts:

Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009 (R.A. 9995) Penalizes taking, copying, selling, distributing, publishing, broadcasting, or exhibiting photos/videos of a person’s private parts or sexual act without consent, including online posting. Consent to the original recording does not mean consent to share.
Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 (R.A. 10175) Makes certain crimes punishable when done through a computer system (e.g., illegal access, data interference, identity theft, cybersex, child pornography in relation to R.A. 9775, and libel). It also provides extraterritorial jurisdiction when any element occurs in the Philippines or involves a Filipino victim/computer system.
Safe Spaces Act (R.A. 11313) Covers gender-based online sexual harassment such as unwanted sexual remarks, threats, stalking, and sharing of sexual content without consent in online spaces.
Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act (R.A. 9262) Applies when the harasser is a husband, partner, ex-partner, or someone with whom the victim has/had a dating or sexual relationship. Psychological violence includes threats, harassment, and online abuse; protective orders are available (see Section 8).
Data Privacy Act (R.A. 10173) Sexual images are sensitive personal information. Unauthorized processing/disclosure can be a DPA offense and subject to administrative penalties and civil liability. You can complain to the National Privacy Commission (NPC) and seek erasure/blocking.
Child-protection statutes (if the victim is a minor):
- OSAEC & Anti-CSAEM Act (R.A. 11930)—2022 law strengthening action against online sexual abuse or exploitation of children and child sexual abuse/exploitation materials (CSAEM), including livestreaming, grooming, and any creation/possession/distribution of sexualized child imagery (real or computer-generated).
- Anti-Child Pornography Act (R.A. 9775)—still relevant; possession, production, and distribution are crimes.
- Special Protection of Children (R.A. 7610) and Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act (R.A. 9208 as amended by R.A. 10364 and R.A. 11862)—cover grooming, recruitment, and exploitation for profit.
Revised Penal Code offenses often paired with the above
- Grave threats / grave coercion (blackmail, intimidation).
- Unjust vexation, alarm and scandal, libel, estafa, etc., depending on conduct.

Note on penalties: Specific terms and fines depend on the charge(s), aggravating factors (e.g., the victim is a child; offender is a partner, parent, teacher, or public officer; done for profit; done by a syndicate or through an information system), and whether special laws or the Cybercrime Act apply.

4) Who investigates, and where to report?

You can report to any of these; they coordinate. If a child is involved, prioritize the child-focused units.

PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) – for cybercrimes including sextortion/NCII.
PNP Women and Children Protection Center (PNP-WCPC) – for cases involving women and children; works closely with social workers.
Nearest police station – they can receive your complaint and endorse to ACG/WCPC.
National Bureau of Investigation – Cybercrime Division (NBI-CCD) – parallel to PNP-ACG.
Department of Justice – Office of Cybercrime (DOJ-OOC) – coordination, mutual legal assistance, cyber warrants, and blocking orders.
National Privacy Commission (NPC) – for Data Privacy Act complaints and orders to stop processing/erase content.
Barangay – for VAWC cases (R.A. 9262), you can seek Barangay Protection Orders (BPOs).
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)/Local Social Welfare Office – especially for minors; they provide case management and psychosocial support.

(Because contact details change, file in person if possible; bring government ID.)

5) How to file a criminal complaint (adult victim)

Prepare a complaint-affidavit
- Clear narrative: who, what, when, where, how (include usernames, links, phone numbers).
- Identify the laws you believe were violated (from Section 3).
- Attach evidence (Section 6).
- Sign and subscribe it before a prosecutor or authorized officer.
Submit to law enforcement (PNP-ACG/NBI-CCD) or directly to the City/Provincial Prosecutor.
- If the suspect is known and was recently arrested, prosecutors may conduct inquest; otherwise, regular filing.
Expect digital-forensics steps
- Agencies may apply for Cybercrime Warrants (Supreme Court Rules on Cybercrime Warrants):
  - WDCD (Warrant to Disclose Computer Data)
  - WSSECD (Warrant to Search, Seize, and Examine Computer Data)
  - WICD (Warrant to Intercept Computer Data)
  - Warrant to Restrict/Block Access to online content
- These are sought from designated Special Cybercrime Courts (Regional Trial Courts).
If the suspect is abroad
- DOJ-OOC may use Mutual Legal Assistance and cooperation under the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime; your report can still move forward because R.A. 10175 allows extraterritorial prosecution when a Filipino, or a Philippine computer system, is involved.

6) Evidence: what to keep (and how)

Golden rules

Do not delete chats, posts, emails, or accounts.
Do not forward or store sexual images of minors; immediately surrender any such files (if they were sent to you) to law enforcement—possession is illegal.
Avoid illegal voice recording. Recording voice calls without consent can violate the Anti-Wiretapping Act (R.A. 4200). Screenshots/exports of text messages and metadata are generally safer.

Collect and preserve

Full-screen screenshots of chats/posts with: profile URL/handle, date/time, and visible system clock.
Original files (images/videos) as you received them. Do not alter or re-encode.
Headers and metadata:
- Email headers (download the .eml if possible).
- File properties (creation time, hash if you know how).
- Platform report receipts/ticket numbers.
Links/URLs to posts, profiles, storage folders.
Proof of extortion: demands for money/goods/favors, payment instructions (GCash, bank acct, crypto wallet), and any payments made.
Witness statements if someone saw the posts or threats.
Your ID and any proof that the account(s) or phone number(s) belong to you.

Chain of custody basics

Keep a simple evidence log: what you saved, from where, when, on which device, and by whom.
Prefer original digital copies over printed versions. If you print, keep both.
Back up to a clean USB or cloud drive; label and seal if handing to law enforcement.

7) Getting content taken down

Report within the platform/app (Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, Reddit, Discord, cloud drives). Use the NCII or sexual exploitation category if available and keep the ticket/confirmation.
Search engines (e.g., Google) accept requests to remove non-consensual explicit images from search results. This doesn’t delete the source, but reduces visibility.
StopNCII (for adults): a widely used hash-based system that lets you create a fingerprint of your image on your own device and submit the hash (not the image) so participating platforms can detect and block matching uploads.
DOJ-OOC / law enforcement blocking orders: In active cases, authorities can seek warrants to restrict or block access to specific URLs or content.
NPC (Data Privacy): You can complain to compel a data controller (e.g., a website operator) to stop processing or erase your sensitive personal data when processing is unlawful or no longer necessary.

Important: Takedowns can be fast, slow, or partial. File both (a) platform reports and (b) criminal reports so state authorities can issue formal requests and warrants.

8) Protective orders and support

If the offender is a spouse/partner/ex-partner/dating partner: you may seek Protection Orders under R.A. 9262—from Barangay Protection Orders (BPO) (same day), then Temporary (TPO) and Permanent (PPO) Protection Orders from the court. These can direct the offender to cease contact, stay away, and surrender devices, among others.
For minors: social workers (DSWD/LSWDO) must be involved; schools should activate child-protection mechanisms.
Psychosocial and legal aid: PAO (Public Attorney’s Office) for indigent clients, IBP legal aid chapters, local LSWDO, CHR, and women & children crisis centers.

9) Civil and administrative remedies

Damages under the Civil Code: moral, exemplary, and actual damages for the humiliation, mental anguish, and financial loss caused by NCII/sextortion.
Injunctions/TROs to compel takedown or stop further sharing.
Data Privacy Act complaints before the NPC for unlawful processing/disclosure of sensitive personal data; administrative fines and compliance orders may issue.
Writ of Habeas Data: a special remedy to order entities to disclose, correct, or delete personal data gathered/kept about you when your right to privacy in life, liberty, or security is violated.

10) Special notes for child cases

Do not store or forward the imagery. Immediately notify PNP-WCPC/NBI-CCD.
OSAEC/CSAEM laws** apply even to “self-generated” content** (e.g., a minor coerced to send a nude). The offender can be charged regardless of whether money changed hands.
Schools must follow the Anti-Bullying Act (R.A. 10627) and DepEd child-protection policies; they should accept reports and coordinate with WCPC and social workers.
Platforms have mandatory reporting obligations; law enforcement often coordinates with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and international partners.

11) Common defenses & how they’re addressed

“But you consented when you sent it.” R.A. 9995 penalizes sharing without consent even if the original capture was consensual. Consent is specific and revocable.
“It was a joke / not sexual.” Context matters; exposure of private parts or sexualized depiction meant to harass or humiliate can fall under NCII or Safe Spaces Act offenses.
“It wasn’t me; my account was hacked.” Digital forensics and platform records (IP logs, device IDs) can establish control or access; identity theft and illegal access may be added.
Deepfakes Manipulated images still involve sensitive personal data and can constitute DPA, libel, or harassment offenses; child deepfakes are CSAEM.

12) Practical checklist

A. Evidence pack

Screenshots (full screen) of chats, threats, profiles, posts, payment demands.
Original files (unaltered), URLs, and any platform report receipts.
Email headers/metadata exports where applicable.
Your ID and proof of account ownership.
Evidence log (who saved what, when, where).

B. Reporting

File with PNP-ACG or NBI-CCD (and PNP-WCPC if a child is involved).
Consider NPC for privacy violations; Barangay/court for VAWC protection orders.
Keep copies of all filings and reference numbers.

C. Safety & cleanup

Passwords and 2FA on all accounts; review connected apps and recovery options.
Ask friends/family not to engage with the offender and to forward you any links for evidence.
For adults, consider StopNCII hashing; for minors, go straight to law enforcement.

13) Filing structure sample (criminal complaint-affidavit)

Your details (name, age, address—use care; ask counsel about requesting address confidentiality).
Respondent(s) (real name if known; otherwise usernames/handles, links).
Statement of facts in chronological order (attach exhibits).
Offenses charged (cite R.A. 9995, R.A. 10175, R.A. 11313, R.A. 9262, etc., as applicable).
Prayer (file charges, preserve and examine digital evidence, issue cyber warrants, seek restraining/blocking orders).
Verification & jurat (subscribe before the prosecutor).

14) Frequently asked questions

Can I record a call with the extorter? Avoid recording voice calls without consent; it may violate R.A. 4200. Stick to text-based evidence and screenshots, and let law enforcement handle interceptions under warrant.
We dated; does that change anything? No. Sharing your intimate images without your consent is still illegal. If the offender is a partner/ex-partner, R.A. 9262 may also apply, enabling protection orders.
The offender is overseas. Is there any point? Yes. R.A. 10175 allows extraterritorial enforcement; the DOJ-OOC can use MLAT and cross-border cooperation.
Will my name become public? Courts and agencies generally protect the identity of sexual-offense victims, especially minors. Ask prosecutors about confidentiality measures and filing practices.

15) Final reminders

Use both criminal and platform channels; the first stops the crime, the second limits exposure.
Involve specialized units early; cyber warrants and international coordination often make the difference.
Take care of yourself: consider counseling, reach out to trusted contacts, and seek legal aid (PAO, IBP, NGOs).

If you want, I can draft a tailored complaint-affidavit or an evidence log template based on your situation—just share the specifics you’re comfortable sharing (no links or images needed).