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Tip Sheet

Sexting and
Image Safety

Once an intimate image is sent, you cannot take it back. Understand the risks, the law, and what to do if your images are shared without your consent.

1 in 8
adults report having an intimate image shared without their consent
88%
of intimate images shared without consent were originally sent to a partner
Under 18
creating or sharing intimate images of minors is illegal regardless of consent
Bermuda Law

Know Your Legal Rights and Responsibilities

Sharing intimate images of a person without their consent is a criminal offence in Bermuda. This includes images shared between former partners, images distributed as revenge, and AI-generated deepfake intimate content. You can report it — and you should.

Non-consensual intimate image sharing is a criminal offence
Sharing intimate images without consent can result in prosecution, fines, and imprisonment in Bermuda.
Child sexual abuse material — zero tolerance
Any intimate image of a person under 18 — regardless of who created it or who consented — is illegal to create, possess, or share.
Sextortion is a serious crime
Using intimate images to threaten, coerce, or extort money or further images is a form of blackmail and should be reported to police immediately.

Protecting Yourself Online

Practical steps to protect your privacy and dignity online.

1
Think before you send
Once an image is sent, you lose all control over it. Even in a trusted relationship, images can be shared, screenshotted, or stolen in a breach.
2
Never send images to people you have not met in person
Online relationships are easily faked. People who pressure you for images are often not who they claim to be.
3
Set your accounts to private
Public profiles and posts give strangers access to your photos. Review all account privacy settings regularly.
4
Review cloud storage and backups
Images stored in the cloud can be accessed if your account is compromised. Enable strong passwords and two-factor authentication on all cloud accounts.
5
Be aware of screen recording and screenshots
Even disappearing messages can be screenshotted or recorded before they disappear. There is no truly private digital message.
6
Know the signs of grooming and sextortion
Adults who ask for photos, create urgency, offer gifts, or make threats are grooming you. Report this behaviour to a trusted adult and CyberTips immediately.
7
Do not share others' intimate images
Forwarding, sharing, or saving intimate images of others without their consent is illegal and harmful — regardless of how you received them.
8
Use secure, encrypted messaging apps
For private communication, use end-to-end encrypted apps and ensure backups are disabled for sensitive conversations.
9
Talk to children about image safety early
Age-appropriate conversations about body autonomy, consent, and digital privacy help children protect themselves before problems arise.
10
Trust your instincts
If a conversation or request makes you uncomfortable, you are allowed to say no, block the person, and tell a trusted adult. You owe no one your images.

If Your Images Are Shared Without Consent

This is not your fault. You have rights. Take these steps immediately.

01
Do not delete anything yet
Preserve all evidence including screenshots, messages, URLs, usernames, and dates before you take any other action.
02
Report to the platform immediately
Use the platform's reporting tool to request removal. Most major platforms have emergency processes for intimate image abuse.
03
Contact CyberTips Bermuda
Call 1-441-777-0875 or visit cybertips.bm. CyberTips can help you navigate reporting to police, platforms, and support services confidentially.
04
Speak to someone you trust
You do not have to face this alone. Tell a trusted adult, counsellor, or support service. What happened is not your fault.
You are not alone. Help is available.
CyberTips Bermuda provides confidential support and can connect you with the right authorities and services. You do not have to handle this by yourself.
Report Online Call 1-441-777-0875
Critical Awareness

AI-Generated Child Sexual
Abuse Images and Videos

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to technology that can mimic human thinking — understanding language, solving problems, and creating content like text, images, or videos. It powers everything from streaming recommendations to social media feeds. But these same tools are being misused to create illegal and deeply harmful content involving children.

Abusive material does not have to show explicit acts. Nude or semi-nude images of anyone under 18 are classified as child sexual abuse material — regardless of how they were created. These images are illegal and harmful even if they appear as cartoons, animations, or poorly edited fakes.

How AI Creates or Alters Abusive Content

Manipulated Real Photos (Deepfakes)
Everyday pictures of children — often taken from social media, websites, or messaging apps — are digitally altered into sexualised or abusive imagery.
Fully Artificial Images
Computer-generated pictures or videos that look like real children but are entirely synthetic. These are still illegal — the law does not require a real child to have been harmed.
"Nudifying" Software
AI software that digitally removes clothing from existing photos to create nude or semi-nude images. This is a rapidly growing form of image-based abuse targeting children and adults alike.
All of the above are illegal
In Bermuda, creating, possessing, or distributing any sexual image of a child — regardless of how it was made — is a serious criminal offence. Report to CyberTips: 1-441-777-0875 or Police: 911.

How to Protect Your Child's Photos from AI Abuse

Three practical steps parents can take right now.

Step 1
Review Your Privacy Settings
On most social media apps, go to Privacy, Safety, or Account in Settings. Make profiles private and limit who sees your posts. Use a "close friends" list to restrict visibility to trusted people only when sharing photos of your child.
Step 2
Audit Your Social Media Accounts
Scroll through your accounts and check past images. Ask: can my child's face, body, or school uniform be clearly seen? Check friends and family members' profiles too — they may have posted photos without you realising. Set clear boundaries early.
Step 3
Revisit Image Consent Regularly
Review consent forms at schools and sports clubs periodically. As your child grows, include them in these conversations — teach them it is always okay to say "no." With modern AI tools, even innocent group sports photos carry new risks.

Conversation Starters for Parents

You do not need to be an AI expert to have this conversation. Weave it into the regular, open conversations you already have. Stay curious, listen, and learn together.

"Have you used AI at school or at home? What did you use it for — and did you find it helpful?"
Helps you gauge what they already know about AI.
"Some AI apps can create or edit images and videos. Sometimes people use them to make fake or inappropriate content. What would you do if something online did not feel right?"
Opens the door to discussing AI misuse while keeping the focus on their safety.
"Have you heard of deepfakes? Just because something looks real online, it does not mean it is."
A good reminder about critical thinking online.
"Images or videos made or changed by AI can be harmful — and sometimes even illegal. Why do you think that is?"
Encourages them to think about impact and consequences.
"If this ever happened to you or someone you know, you can always come to me — and we can report it together at cybertips.bm or by calling 1-441-777-0875."
Reassures them that help is always available.
Free Resource

How StopNCII.org Works

StopNCII.org is a free tool designed to support victims of Non-Consensual Intimate Image (NCII) abuse. It works by generating a hash (a unique digital fingerprint) from your intimate image or video on your own device. That hash — never the image itself — is shared with participating companies so they can detect and remove matching content from their platforms.

Image hashing assigns a unique value to an image so that every duplicate copy can be identified and removed, even if it appears on a different platform — all without your original content ever being uploaded or shared.

StopNCII.org is operated by the Revenge Porn Helpline (RPH), founded in 2015 and part of SWGfL, a not-for-profit charity with an international reputation for online safety. RPH has supported thousands of victims and achieved a 90%+ removal rate, successfully removing over 300,000 individual non-consensual intimate images from the internet.

Visit StopNCII.org
Your Privacy

StopNCII does not upload or store your image. Only the digital fingerprint (hash) leaves your device. Your content stays private at all times.

RPH Track Record
90%+
successful image removal rate
300K
intimate images removed from the internet
2015
founded, supporting thousands of victims worldwide
Step 1
Select your image
Choose any intimate image or video from your device that you are concerned about. Nothing is uploaded at this stage.
Step 2
A hash is created locally
StopNCII generates a digital fingerprint (hash) of the image on your device. Only the hash is sent — not the image or video itself. Your content never leaves your device.
Step 3
Save your case number
If your case is created successfully you will receive a case number and PIN. Store these safely — they cannot be recovered if lost and you will need them to check your case status.
Step 4
Platforms scan for matches
Participating platforms compare their content against the hash and remove any matching images that violate their intimate image abuse policy. Note: StopNCII can only remove content from participating platforms listed on their partners page.
Step 5
Ongoing monitoring
StopNCII periodically continues to check for matches on participating platforms after your case is submitted, providing ongoing protection.
Step 6
Track or withdraw your case
Use your case number at any time to check progress or withdraw your case entirely if you choose to. You remain in control throughout the process.

Guidance for Parents and Educators

Have the conversation early
Talk openly with children about sexting risks before they encounter pressure online. Shame-free conversations make it more likely they will come to you if something goes wrong.
Know the warning signs
Withdrawal from family, secretive phone use, receiving gifts from unknown sources, and emotional distress can all be signs a child is being pressured or groomed online.
Create a safe reporting environment
Children must believe they will not be punished for coming to you with a problem. Reassure them that your first concern is their safety, not their behaviour.