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 Connecticut, the criminal offense of sextortion is not recognized by a specific statute named 'sextortion,' but it is addressed under various other criminal laws. The state's statutes criminalize actions that can be associated with sextortion, such as blackmail, extortion, and nonconsensual dissemination of private images, which is often referred to as 'revenge pornography.' Under Connecticut law, a person who disseminates intimate images of another person without their consent may be charged with a Class A misdemeanor, as per Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-189c (Unlawful Dissemination of an Intimate Image). Additionally, if the act of sextortion involves threats or coercion to obtain money, property, or forcing someone to engage in sexual activity, it could be prosecuted under the state's extortion or coercion statutes. It's important to note that the specific charges and penalties can vary depending on the circumstances of the case, and an attorney can provide more detailed information on how these laws might apply to a particular situation.