The criminal offense of sextortion is a form of blackmail or extortion and is committed when a person threatens to publish private nude, pornographic, or explicit photos, videos, or images of another person’s body or sexual activity unless the person provides something of value—such as money, sexual activity, more sexual images, or the performance of sexual acts (often online using webcams).

Sextortion laws vary from state to state and are sometimes part of a state’s laws regarding revenge pornography, blackmail, extortion, bribery, or cyberstalking and are prosecuted under those or other criminal offenses rather than as a specific offense called sextortion. These laws are generally located in a state’s statutes—often in the penal or criminal code—and are sometimes titled with descriptive names such as The Unlawful Disclosure or Promotion of Intimate Visual Material.

In Florida, sextortion is not recognized as a distinct criminal offense under a specific statute named 'sextortion.' However, individuals who engage in such conduct can be prosecuted under various existing laws that criminalize similar behavior. Florida Statutes address related offenses such as sexual cyberharassment under Section 784.049, which makes it unlawful to willfully and maliciously sexually cyberharass another person, with penalties that can include both criminal and civil consequences. Additionally, extortion is covered under Section 836.05, which prohibits threats to accuse someone of a crime or to expose secrets to disgrace them in order to obtain money or a benefit. The state also has laws against stalking, including cyberstalking, under Section 784.048, which could apply to certain behaviors involved in sextortion. These laws collectively provide a framework for prosecuting individuals who threaten to release explicit images or videos to extort victims for money, sexual favors, or other forms of value.