Nude photos, videos and digital sexual abuse against children

Important things to know

Genitals

Genitals are the body parts in the middle of your body that are related to sex and having children.

They are nothing to be ashamed of, but we still don’t want to show them to just anyone.

They are our private parts.

Sexual content

When we talk about sexual content we are talking about photos, videos, text or sounds.

It can be a photo that show genitalis, videos of sexual act or sexual texts or sound.

Remember:

• Taking sexual content of children under 15 is not allowed.
• Sending anyone under 15 a photo or videos of genitals is not allowed.
• Sending a picture or a video of genitals is never allowed unless consent has been given, even between two adults.
• Adults are not allowed to send children sexual content.
• Sharing sexual content of others or threatening to do so is not allowed.

All of this is illegal and should not happen.

Faked sexual content

• Faked sexual content is content that was created and doesn't show reality.
• It can show a person doing or saying things they have never done.
• It can for example show a nude photo of a person's face on another person's body.
• AI is often used to create faked sexual content but other applications can be used.
• The content can be photos, videos or sounds.

It is just as illegal to share faked sexual content of a person as real sexual content.

Get help

It is always better to tell someone if you have experienced abuse, no matter how long ago it was. It is best to talk to an adult, like your parents or a teacher. You can also get help in the webchat Sjúkt spjall.

What helps the police investigation?

Take screenshots or screen recordings of all messages

• This can help the police, especially if the person sending the messages deletes them on their end. Make sure the username, phone number, or other such information is visible in the screenshots.

Write down information

• Information such as where the communication started, where it moved to (for example, from Roblox to Snapchat), and other similar details.

Talk to the police first

• Do not delete messages, pictures, or anything else before the police have made a copy of all helpful data.
• If possible, do not block the person until you have spoken to the police. You can mute notifications and use other settings that prevent you from seeing the messages. If the messages are having a very negative mental impact, it is better to block the person even if you have not spoken to the police.

Grooming

It could happen that an adult pretends to be a teenager online to get a child to do something sexual, such as sending a nude photo of themselves. Sometimes they offer gifts or money in return or give a lot of compliments. That is called grooming and is illegal.