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 Utah, sextortion is not recognized as a distinct criminal offense under a specific statute named 'sextortion.' However, such conduct is typically prosecuted under various existing laws that criminalize similar behavior, such as sexual extortion, revenge pornography, blackmail, extortion, and cybercrimes. For instance, Utah's revenge pornography law, found in Utah Code § 76-5b-203, makes it illegal to distribute intimate images of another person without their consent, with the intent to cause emotional distress or harm. Additionally, Utah's laws on extortion, which can be found in Utah Code § 76-6-406, prohibit obtaining property or compelling action or inaction by wrongful use of force, fear, or threats, which can cover some forms of sextortion. These laws are part of Utah's penal code and are enforced by state authorities. Violations can result in serious criminal penalties, including fines and imprisonment. Victims of such offenses may also have civil remedies available to them under Utah law.