Online sexual activity and consent

Consent is essential when it comes to online sexual activity.

Sharing intimate images or sexting between consenting adults is a matter of choice. But be cautious when engaging sexually with people online - especially when sharing sexual images.

There are steps that you can take if your images are used without consent.

What you can do to protect yourself

Consent is vital when you’re sharing intimate images or engaged in any sexual activity - online or offline.

If someone asks you to engage in sexual activity or sends you sexts or nudes, tell them if you’re uncomfortable and ask them to stop.

If the person does not stop, you can block their number and report it to An Garda Síochána.

What to do if someone shares private photos of you

If someone posts or shares a sexual image of you online without your consent, you can report it to:

An Garda Síochána
The Irish Internet Hotline - this is the national centre for reporting online content

What to do when private photos or videos of you end up online

Posting, sending and sharing sexual images

It is illegal for anyone over age 12 to post, send or share:

pictures of the genitalia of people under age 18, including AI-generated or "nudified" deepfake imagery
images of someone under 18 engaged in or watching sexual activity

These activities are classified as child pornography offences. This is true even if a person under 18 sends a sexual picture of themselves.

It is also against the law to:

send sexually explicit material to anyone under age 17
threaten to publish or send intimate images - even if they are not actually shared
threaten to share images to extort money or sexual favours
share or threaten to share an intimate image that is faked or altered to look like another person, including AI-generated or "nudified" deepfake imagery

Grooming

Grooming is when someone intentionally builds trust with children or vulnerable adults to manipulate, exploit or abuse. This is also to gain power and control over you for their own personal benefit. This can happen in-person or online.

A groomer will rely on several tactics to take advantage of you, including:

giving lots of compliments about your appearance and abilities
getting to know your vulnerabilities by encouraging you to talk about your problems
convincing you that they are the only person who understands you and not your family and friends
buying you gifts
gradually introducing inappropriate elements like sexting, asking for naked pictures or videos, or giving you alcohol
using fear, secrecy, and shame to control you

This is against the law.

Find out more about grooming - garda.ie

Keeping children safe online - webwise.ie