Sextortion Attorney: Understanding the Limitations of Legal Support

People enter flirtatious electronic exchanges for a variety of reasons. Some may be looking to have a steamy one-off, while others are searching to take their digital dating to the real world and establish a long-term relationship.

What the typical internet user is not looking to do is be blackmailed using their nude images. But, for many, that is unfortunately becoming a harsh reality. Sextortion is a crime that holds the potential to unleash limitless financial, emotional, and psychological terror on its victims.

With the legislative lines around sextortion and other forms of extortion being a little blurry, many victims are left looking to sextortion attorneys to help them understand their options. But are the costs worth it when even lawyers face limitations combating online blackmail? Read on to learn more before you choose your path to salvation from sextortion.

Understanding Sextortion and Its Legal Implications

Before you begin deciding how to approach sextortion legally, you need to know what it is, how a court of law views it, and what options you have to defend yourself and take back control. The various ways that the law defines different forms of extortion can make getting help confusing, so continue on to learn more about your options for legal assistance when facing sextortion.

What Constitutes Sextortion?

Sextortion is the criminal act of leveraging an individual’s intimate photos to extort them for financial gain. It differs legally from other forms of blackmail and extortion due to the material being waged against the victim, and its unique from other intimate image abuse for its intended goal.

Legal classifications for sextortion vary based on the region you reside in. In the United States, the legislation may specifically address sextortion or classify it under blackmail or extortion laws. Charges can range from misdemeanors to felonies and carry punishments of fines or jail time.

Jurisdictional Challenges

One of the biggest challenges in prosecuting a sextortion case is jurisdiction. These criminals that get so close with their victims often do so from halfway around the world, with sextortion hotspots in Nigeria, Thailand, the Philippines, the Dominican Republic, and the Ivory Coast.

Because of this, it can be challenging to bring charges against the criminals, especially if their home country has laxed regulations against cybercrimes like sextortion. Cases of digital harassment often require international cooperation from law enforcement, which can stifle legal proceedings.

The Role of Sextortion Attorneys

A sextortion attorney can help you navigate the legislative landscape in your region and create your case for legal hearings. They can ensure you comply with the requirements of a court hearing, assist you in acquiring protective orders, and communicate on your behalf to alleviate some of the stress you are feeling.

Legal Actions and Remedies

One of the ways that legal counsel can help with sextortion is by filing for legal protection. Your sextortion lawyer may pursue a cease-and-desist letter, restraining order, or even take civil action. These are common strategies used by lawyers called to combat online blackmail, but it is only effective if the cybercriminal can be identified.

These protections will only apply if the perpetrator is within the jurisdiction of the judiciary body that assigns them. This means that you must not only identify the cybercriminal, but they have to live within the same country as you. If not, this action will likely only result in unwanted attention on the case and your harasser learning you can afford legal aid.

Collaborating with Digital Investigators

If working with a sextortion attorney feels like the right choice, you should still consider the services of professional digital investigators. These experts have access to industry-standard forensics tools that allow them to derive metadata from your online exchanges and attach a real-world face and name to their online alias.

These two options are not mutually exclusive. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Your legal team needs evidence to build a case, and digital forensics professionals know how to find it. Investigators can work hand-in-hand with sextortion attorneys to ensure that the investigation is properly documented, and evidence is admissible in court.

Limitations and Challenges in Sextortion Cases

As we’ve covered, the faceless, borderless nature of sextortionist and online blackmailers causes difficulty for legal professionals trying to combat them. The restrictions that lawyers face when defending their clients against digital harassment need to be weighed with the price it costs to acquire such counsel, so we will discuss them below.

Anonymity of Perpetrators

If you are looking to take legal action against your sextortionist, you will need to be able to identify and name them. This requires you to be able to break through their online anonymity, which is not a simple feat.

Cybercriminals utilize advanced technology such as VPNs and anonymous and encrypted messaging platforms that make it difficult to track their true name and location. Legal action to recover extorted funds can be difficult since sextortionists typically choose payment methods that are difficult to trace such as gift cards, cryptocurrency, and cash.

International Legal Barriers

As we’ve already covered, sextortion and similar cybercrimes are often perpetrated by organized crime groups that are housed internationally. This allows the bad actors to skirt legal consequences by exploiting inconsistent legislation and a lack of world-wide cooperation.

This is what makes organizations like the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) so important. With 196 countries working together and sharing a commonwealth of cybercrime intel, INTERPOL serves as an example of what the entire world should strive for in our global push to combat sextortion.

Alternative Support and Resources for Victims

Outside of legal help from a sextortion attorney, there are other organizations who provide educational resources, emotional support, and further assistance in investigating and reporting cybercrimes. These tools at your disposal are not isolated and can often be beneficial to blackmail lawyers, so consider all your options when choosing your path forward.

Digital Investigation Services

At Digital Investigation Inc., our goal is to prevent your private photos from being released.

• We accomplish this by tracking the digital footprint of your blackmailer to identify their real name, geolocation, and even the device they used to commit the crime.
• We will preserve this evidence by carefully extracting it with methods like device imaging to ensure it remains unaltered and admissible in court.
• We will document our entire process to maintain the chain of custody. After your case has been settled, we can provide ongoing monitoring to protect you from any future threats that may arise.

Support Organizations and Hotlines

Past the services we’ve already discussed, there are organizations dedicated to helping internet users learn how to avoid digital harassment and provide victims with support. These additional resources that can benefit a sextortion victims include:

• Electronic Frontier Foundation: EFF published a Surveillance Self Defense Guide with educational material on having safe and secure online interactions.
• National Cybersecurity Alliance: NCA has a library of articles, videos, and toolkits covering online safety and hosts virtual and in-person speaking events.
• Cyber Civil Rights Initiative: CCRI provides victims of NCII abuse and other cybercrimes with support and referral services.
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: NCMEC provides educational resources and an avenue to report sextortion of minors as well as a tool to recognize and remove NCII and prevent it from being reshared.
• National Crisis Hotline: Anyone anywhere in the United States can reach the National Crisis Hotline any time of day for support with any mental health problem by calling or texting 988 or conducting an online chat at 988lifeline.org.

Taking Proactive Steps

Sextortion progresses rapidly and requires a prompt response, but many people are unfamiliar with their options for help. A sextortion attorney may be able to help, but you need to consider the specifics of your case and their facility for action compared to the price of their service.

While mulling over your options, consider the benefits of pairing investigative professionals who can unearth digital evidence with the right legal team who knows how to apply this proof legally. And while you consider, might we suggest pondering the services provided right here at Digital Investigation Inc.

We are here 24/7 and we’re ready to restore your peace of mind. Reach out today for a free consultation with one of our specialists and let us get started.

Sources:

• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) – 2022 Internet Crime Report
• Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2022). “2022 Internet Crime Complaint Center Report.” Retrieved from https://www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2022_IC3Report.pdf
• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. (n.d.). “Sextortion.” Retrieved from https://www.missingkids.org/theissues/sextortion