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 Nevada, 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. Nevada law addresses related offenses such as extortion, invasion of privacy, and the unlawful dissemination of intimate images, commonly known as 'revenge porn.' Under Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) 200.571, extortion is defined as obtaining money, property, or other valuable things by threat or force. Additionally, NRS 200.730 prohibits a person from intentionally disseminating photographs, films, or digital recordings of another person's intimate body parts or of a person engaged in a sexual act without their consent, which covers some aspects of sextortion. Violations of these laws can result in serious criminal penalties, including fines and imprisonment. Victims of sextortion in Nevada may also have civil remedies available to them, such as suing for damages.