- You and your boyfriend were having a lot of fun while dating. Your relationship was intimate and sexy. He promised only he would enjoy the pictures you took together, but you just broke up and found those images online.
- Or, before you knew the Lord, you lived a crazier life and liked to show off your natural beauty. Now, you’re embarrassed by your actions and wish you could get rid of all those nude videos.
- You were super insecure as a middle school girl, so you took a lot of pictures with your friends to show off your beautiful body in hopes that it would make you feel attractive and worthy of attention. You’ve since matured and don’t want to hide behind those images anymore, but you’re scared that they might be posted somewhere.
There are so many different scenarios of girls having images of their naked body online. Perhaps you can relate to one mentioned above, or you may have your own story. No matter how or why your images may be out there, it’s time to take them down.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) actually has the resources to help you! It’s never a good idea to take nude photos of yourself or anyone else, even in healthy and secure relationships. Your body is a sacred and beautiful reflection of God’s love for you and that should never be exposed.
Remove Pictures and Images
If you have the images or videos on your own device, you can protect them through Take It Down. Here’s the process:
- Go to Take It Down and click on the “Get Started +” button. (Note: This service is only meant to be used for nude, partially nude or sexually explicit images or videos of people under age 18. If you are over 18, but the images were of you when you were a minor, you can still use this service.)
- Fill out the questions, then click “Select photo/video” and upload up to 10 images or videos on your device at one time. Make sure the list of files is accurate and that the names of the files don’t include your name or other information that could be used to identify you.
- The photos won’t leave your device, but a digital footprint will be created and added to the NCMEC database. Online platforms (such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook) will detect these images and remove that content or prevent them from being posted. Some online platforms are limited in their capability to remove content already posted. If the images/videos have already been posted online, then you’ll need to report it to CyberTipline. It’s important to understand that you don’t want to ask the person who has the original image to share it with you. If you do not have the images or videos on your device, then use CyberTipline to report the images instead.
- Do not share the images or videos on any social media after you have submitted them to Take It Down. If you do, your social media account could be flagged and blocked.
To learn more, check out this video or go to Take It Down:
Remove Content Already Posted Online
If you don’t have the images on your device, but can pinpoint social media accounts, or devices that they may be on, report the images or videos through CyberTipline. Here’s how:
- Go to CyberTipline and click on the “Report Incident” button. (Note: This service is only meant to be used for exploitation of people under age 18. If you are over 18, but the images, conversations or content were of you when you were a minor, you can still use this service.)
- Be sure to select that there are nude or exploitative images/videos of you online and you want those images removed. This resource is used for various types of exploitation of minors, so be specific as to what you are reporting.
- Fill out the form with as much detail as you feel comfortable. The more detail you provide, the more helpful it will be for law enforcement and NCMEC to take action and have the posts removed. The information you provide is confidential and can be anonymous if you prefer not to share your personal information.
- You will need to report where you found the image or video, you can do this by right clicking on the image and selecting either “Copy Image Location” or “Copy Image Address.”
- Once you submit your report, it will be reviewed and made available to law enforcement to assess. If you provide your contact information, someone may reach out to you with further questions and additional resources for support. Do not be intimidated by a report being made to law enforcement. This is an incredible opportunity to protect yourself and others. However, involving law enforcement is serious, so never make a report unless the offense is legit.
- If you would prefer to speak to someone in person, or have questions before making an official report, please reach out to 1-800-THE-LOST.
- You can also report the images or videos directly to the social media companies. You can find instructions on how to do this on NCMEC’s website. (Scroll down until you find the company in which you’d like to have the content removed.)
As you age, or if you know an adult who is struggling to remove images or videos of themselves, StopNCII.org is a resource for individuals over the age of 18.
It’s so important to understand that you are not alone. Unfortunately, there are a lot of girls who face this frustrating and potentially scary reality. If you need to talk to someone about your fear and struggle, reach out to a youth pastor, counselor or check out the resources available through NCMEC. You do not need to go through this process alone. You parents, youth director or church pastor can walk alongside you as you upload or report your images and videos.
No one should take advantage of you or your vulnerability, so protect yourself. You are beautiful and worthy of true love and respect. Show yourself the dignity you deserve, by ensuring no nude or explicit images or videos of you are ever posted online.
