According to the Japanese non-profit organization PAPS, consultations related to sextortion have risen sharply in Japan in recent years. PAPS (People Against Pornography and Sexual Violence), which provides support to victims of digital sexual violence, said consultations increased from 1,864 in fiscal year 2024 to 3,040 in fiscal year 2025. While women continue to be affected, more than one-third of those seeking assistance were men, reflecting the changing nature of this form of online sexual exploitation. 

A portmanteau of sex and extortion, sextortion is a form of blackmail where a person threatens to share private sexual images or videos of someone unless the victim provides money, more explicit content, or sexual favors. A serious digital crime affecting both teens and adults, sextortion has emerged as a significant challenge for Japan’s criminal justice system. PAPS began collecting statistics around four years ago after noticing a significant increase in consultations. 

From Language Apps to Blackmail: How Sextortion Begins

According to PAPS director Eri Uchida, cases involving demands for money have become particularly common. In one pattern, victims meet perpetrators through language-learning apps before being encouraged to move to another platform for a video call. During the call, victims are persuaded to reveal themselves or share intimate images, and the interaction is recorded without their consent. Perpetrators then threaten to post the images or videos online unless money is paid. Many seeking help are teenagers and people in their 20s.

Uchida said that many male victims, particularly those in their teens and 20s, do not recognize themselves as victims of sexual violence. “When a sexual image is handed over to another person, it can be used as a means for making demands for money and other forms of coercion. Isn’t it also a problem with society that we have failed to teach people about the structure of this kind of abuse?” she said.

yami baito

Paying the Ransom Can Lead to Further Exploitation

She also warned that complying with demands can lead to further exploitation. “If victims continue to respond to the demands, they may be repeatedly threatened and have money taken from them. There is also a risk that they will be drawn into ‘yami baito’ [illegal part-time work schemes] such as acting as a money mule or courier in fraud cases. Even if someone demands money, do not pay. Block their contact instead,” Uchida said.

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Updated On July 29, 2026