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 Maine, the criminal offense of sextortion is not recognized by a specific statute named 'sextortion.' However, such conduct is typically prosecuted under existing laws related to invasion of privacy, extortion, and harassment. Maine's statutes include provisions for 'Violation of Privacy' (17-A M.R.S. §511), which makes it illegal to photograph or record another person without their consent in situations where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy. Additionally, 'Extortion' (17-A M.R.S. §355) is defined as obtaining something of value from someone by threatening to commit a crime, accuse someone of a crime, expose a secret, or inflict harm on someone or their property. Sextortion cases may also fall under 'Stalking' (17-A M.R.S. §210-A) if the behavior includes following or surveilling someone in a way that causes them fear for their safety. While Maine does not have a specific law for 'Revenge Pornography,' it is possible that sextortion involving the threat of releasing explicit images could be prosecuted under these or other related criminal statutes.