Victims of non-consensual nude image sharing are never at fault, experts stress

The responsibility for sharing private images without consent always lies with the perpetrator, not the victim, according to Danish sexual health organization Sex & Samfund and the Centre for Digital Pedagogy.

Jeppe Hald, academic director at Sex & Samfund, emphasized that victims who shared images in good faith are protected by law. “It is never your fault if others misuse the images you have sent,” he told public broadcaster DR. “You shared them under the assumption that legal protections would apply.”

A new Epinion survey for DR’s P3 channel found that one in six Danes aged 15–31 has experienced sextortion—blackmail involving nude or sexual images. Jonas Ravn of the Centre for Digital Pedagogy warned against shifting blame onto victims, comparing it to holding elderly fraud victims responsible for clicking scam links. “We must educate about risks without making victims accountable for crimes committed against them,” he said.

Rising trend across age groups Hald noted that sharing intimate images has become common beyond younger demographics, extending into dating and hookup culture. “Erotic self-images are now part of digital communication and sexual experimentation,” he said, calling it a permanent shift in how people engage sexually.

Under Danish law, individuals under 15 cannot legally share their own nude images. Those aged 15–17 may exchange such images only within a romantic relationship, with a legal obligation to delete them if the relationship ends.

Sextortion distinct from consensual sharing Ravn stressed that sextortion often involves grooming and betrayal of trust, making it a separate issue from consensual image sharing. “It’s not a natural consequence of sharing images with a partner,” he said.

Hald acknowledged the risks but defended consensual sharing as a healthy part of modern relationships. “When both parties agree, it can spark intimacy and keep a relationship dynamic alive,” he said, provided it is “organic, trust-based, and free from pressure.”

A new DR documentary, Jagten på sexafpresserne (The Hunt for Sextortionists), investigates the surge in digital blackmail cases targeting Danish youth.