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 Alaska, sextortion is not recognized as a distinct criminal offense under a specific statute named 'sextortion.' However, individuals who engage in sextortion can be prosecuted under various existing laws that criminalize similar conduct. For instance, Alaska's statutes on blackmail and extortion (AS 11.41.530) could apply to sextortion cases, as these laws make it illegal to obtain something of value from another by threatening to disclose embarrassing or incriminating information. Additionally, Alaska has laws against harassment (AS 11.61.120) and non-consensual distribution of images, often referred to as 'revenge porn' (AS 11.61.123), which could be used to prosecute individuals who threaten to release explicit images without consent. These laws make it a crime to distribute or publish private sexual images of another person without their permission, with the intent to harm, harass, intimidate, threaten, or coerce the person depicted. Violations of these laws can result in serious penalties, including imprisonment and fines.