(In some states, these laws only apply to images of children and young people under 16 or 17, but police in every state also have the option of using the Commonwealth laws, which apply to images of young people up to 18).Ī young person who asks for, accesses, possesses, creates or shares sexualised images of someone under 18 may be at risk of criminal charges - even if both parties consented. There are Commonwealth and state and territory laws that relate to sexualised images of children and young people under 18.
The consequences can be serious For young people, sharing naked or sexually explicit images might result in: Read our guide to unwanted contact and grooming. You can find out more about sexual extortion in the image-based abuse section of the site. Sometimes sexting can lead to ‘sexual extortion' when someone threatens to share an intimate image unless the person in the image pays money or gives into their demands.Even young people who know each other may experience coercion or pressure to send a nude.This may be a particular risk when communicating on a dating site or with strangers whose real motives might not be known or understood.Young people may be forced or pressured into sending explicit images or videos.An ex-partner or friend may intentionally share, or threaten to share, an intimate photo or video of a young person without their consent.A friend or partner may, on impulse and without thinking, share an image more broadly than the sender intended.Things can go wrong - even in a trusted relationship or friendship Images can be extremely difficult to remove and the consequences can follow a young person into adulthood.Once an image is shared, it can be copied and saved by others, shared with people the sender does not know and posted on social media and public websites.But things can go wrong and it is important your child understands this.
Sharing intimate images may seem like a bit of fun or innocent flirting for young people, particularly those in a relationship.