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If it is safe, preserve what you can: screenshots, full URLs, account names, dates and times, related messages, threats, and details of any reports you have already made. You do not need a complete evidence record before seeking support or deciding whether to report. Your safety and your choices come first.

What counts as online or technology-facilitated sexual abuse?

Sexual abuse can involve technology even when it happens through a post, message, image, or threat rather than in person. RAINN uses the term “tech-enabled sexual abuse” for sexually abusive or exploitative conduct carried out using technology or online platforms. Examples include sextortion, cyberstalking, deepfakes, image-based sexual abuse, and non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII). RAINN’s overview of tech-enabled sexual abuse explains the term and examples.

This guidance is based on U.S.-oriented sources. Laws, reporting options, and platform procedures vary by location. If you need advice about a specific case, a local sexual-assault advocate, attorney, or relevant authority can help you understand your options.

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How can I preserve online evidence safely?

Only document material if doing so will not put you at greater risk or cause distress you do not want to take on. A trusted person or advocate can help. RAINN advises: “If you can do so safely, save screenshots, links, messages, and other details before the content disappears.” RAINN’s guide to reporting tech-enabled sexual abuse includes further preservation and reporting guidance.

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Write down what happened

In plain language, note what was posted, created, sent, or threatened; where and when you found it; who appears to be involved; and whether there was coercion, a threat, or an extortion demand. Include whether you have seen the material on more than one platform and whether a minor may be involved.

Save identifying details and context

Where safe, keep screenshots along with the full URL, account name or username, date and time, related messages, threats or payment demands, and details of earlier platform reports. Capture enough surrounding context to show where the material appeared and which account was involved. Store the record somewhere you consider safe.

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A screenshot can preserve a view of a post, but it does not by itself guarantee that what happened will be proved or that a particular legal proceeding will accept it. Do not delay support or reporting because you lack some details. If documentation could alert the person responsible or increase danger, stop and prioritize safety.

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Where can I report the content or a potential crime?

Reporting to a platform and reporting to law enforcement serve different purposes. You can choose one route, more than one, or neither; the appropriate options depend on your circumstances and location.

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Route Purpose What to know
Platform report Flag content, seek removal, and create a record of your report. Use the platform’s reporting process and keep its confirmation or other report details if safe. Interfaces and response procedures vary. RAINN’s reporting guide discusses platform reporting.
NCMEC CyberTipline Report suspected child sexual exploitation, including online child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Follow the child-specific guidance below; do not download or circulate the material. RAINN’s guidance for suspected child sexual abuse material directs people to the CyberTipline.
Local law enforcement or the FBI Report a potential crime. These are options, not a universal required sequence. Which agency or process is appropriate depends on jurisdiction and circumstances. The U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women lists these reporting options.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Submit a complaint about covered NCII that remains after the stated removal-request period. RAINN identifies this route when NCII has not been removed 48 hours after a platform report; this is not a general deadline for every platform complaint or sexual-assault report. RAINN’s NCII reporting information explains the context.

A platform report does not itself initiate a police investigation. If you want to report a potential crime, contact the relevant local law-enforcement agency or the FBI; check local procedures because available confidential or anonymous routes and processes differ.

What if someone shared or threatened to share intimate images?

Report the content to the platform where it appears and keep a record of the report if that is safe. RAINN says the TAKE IT DOWN Act requires covered platforms to remove NCII, including CSAM, within 48 hours of a verified request. RAINN also points to an FTC complaint if NCII has not been removed 48 hours after a platform report. These timelines relate to covered NCII removal requests; they should not be treated as a promise that every platform complaint or report will be resolved on that schedule. See RAINN’s report-and-remove guidance for its explanation.

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What should I do if a child may be involved?

Use child-specific reporting guidance for suspected child sexual exploitation or CSAM. RAINN advises preserving URLs, related messages, and usernames; reporting to the NCMEC CyberTipline; and notifying the platform through its built-in reporting process.

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Do not download, forward, or reproduce suspected CSAM to preserve it. RAINN says screenshots of usernames, URLs, and timestamps should be included only if legally allowed. If a child is in immediate danger, call 911 or local authorities.

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What if law enforcement asks to access my phone?

A phone may hold relevant evidence as well as private information unrelated to an incident, and it may be important for personal safety. The U.S. Department of Justice’s May 2024 prosecutor framework describes different approaches used in some cases: prosecutors may rely on screenshots as a basis for seeking a warrant for a perpetrator’s phone, or use searches with limited consent and specified parameters. It says there is no one definitive solution. These are examples discussed for prosecutors, not a requirement that a survivor hand over a device or agree to a full extraction. Read the DOJ framework.

If someone asks to access your phone, practical questions to ask include what information they are seeking, what the scope of access would be, whether the phone can be returned promptly, and how any copied material will be protected. These questions are not a substitute for local legal advice, and the framework does not establish one universal process.

Can I get support without reporting?

Yes. You can seek support whether or not you preserve evidence, report to a platform, or contact law enforcement. RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline offers support by phone, chat, and text, with specialists available 24/7/365; use RAINN’s tech-enabled abuse guide to find its current contact options. If you are in immediate danger, contact emergency services where you are.

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Online services may hold records that are not visible to you, but the sources here do not establish a universal procedure for preserving provider-held records or obtaining platform data for an investigation. A local advocate, attorney, or relevant authority can help you understand what may be possible in your jurisdiction.

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