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 Georgia, sextortion is not recognized as a distinct criminal offense under a specific statute titled 'sextortion.' However, individuals who engage in sextortion can be prosecuted under various existing state laws that criminalize related conduct. For instance, Georgia's laws against invasion of privacy (O.C.G.A. § 16-11-90 et seq.) can be applied to cases where someone threatens to publish private sexual images without consent. Additionally, the state's statutes on extortion (O.C.G.A. § 16-8-16) and computer or electronic pornography and child exploitation (O.C.G.A. § 16-12-100) may also be relevant. These laws make it illegal to obtain money or other things of value through threats or coercion, which includes threats to release explicit images. Furthermore, Georgia has a 'revenge porn' law (O.C.G.A. § 16-11-90), which makes it a crime to knowingly distribute an image of an adult without their consent for the purpose of harassing or causing financial loss. Violations of these laws can lead to serious penalties, including fines and imprisonment.