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 Rhode Island, 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 laws that criminalize related conduct. For instance, Rhode Island law addresses the unauthorized dissemination of private sexual images under its revenge pornography laws, which can be found in Rhode Island General Laws § 11-64-2, 'Unlawful dissemination of indecent material.' This statute makes it illegal to distribute, or threaten to distribute, private sexual images without the consent of the person depicted, with the intent to harass, intimidate, threaten, or coerce the person. Additionally, individuals who commit sextortion may be charged under Rhode Island's extortion and blackmail statutes, such as Rhode Island General Laws § 11-42-2, 'Extortion and blackmail,' which criminalizes obtaining money or other valuables through threats or force. Cyberstalking and cyberharassment are also relevant offenses under Rhode Island General Laws § 11-52-4.2, which could apply to certain sextortion scenarios. Penalties for these crimes can include fines, imprisonment, and restitution to the victim.