You are not the only one this has happened to

I Was a Victim of Sexual Abuse — Deepfake Nudes Are Ruining Lives (opens in a new tab)

Sara Cincurova · Newsweek (My Turn) · April 1, 2024

A human-rights journalist and survivor of childhood sexual abuse writes about how AI deepfake exploitation continues the same violation she suffered as a child. She describes years of flashbacks and nightmares, and how she found her own path to healing — first through years of processing the trauma, then by turning her pain into a career reporting on human rights abuses and, for the first time in her life, sharing her own story publicly.

It took me a very long time to heal… But they did stop eventually. I became a journalist and today, I report from some of the most hostile parts of the world… I found my unique way of healing.

'Deepfake Porn': How I Became a Victim (opens in a new tab)

Cathy Newman · Channel 4 News · December 27, 2024

A Channel 4 News anchor recounts discovering a deepfake video of herself and agreeing to be filmed watching it for the first time, as part of her team's investigation. The piece also carries the voice of Sophie Parrish, a 31-year-old florist whose deepfake images were made by someone close to her family — she speaks candidly about how the violation reshaped, and how she's rebuilding, her ability to trust people.

I trusted everybody before this. My wall was always down… But now I don't trust anybody.

Canada Has a New Law Criminalizing the Distribution of Deepfakes. One Woman Says It Needs to Go Further (opens in a new tab)

CBC News · CBC · 2025

A Halifax woman whose former classmate created and distributed a nude deepfake of her — and was acquitted under the old law — shares her experience and reaction to Canada's new criminal code provisions. Useful for Canadian survivors trying to understand what legal options exist now versus when the abuse happened.

Ashley Reynolds: I Want People to Remember My Sextortion Story (opens in a new tab)

Ashley Reynolds · Thorn (survivor-written blog post) · October 3, 2017

Reynolds writes in full first person about being sextorted as a teenager, sending dozens of images under coercion, the moment her parents discovered what was happening, and the years-long FBI investigation that eventually caught her abuser (who had over 350 other victims). She has since spoken publicly nationwide and was awarded the FBI/NCMEC 'Courage Award.' One of the most complete survivor-to-survivor accounts available.

The answer is why not me? This is epidemic and it's only the beginning. It's my words and my story that will be used to prevent the next Ashley Reynolds from being kidnapped from behind the monitor.

Sextortion Survivors Share Their Stories to Help Other Victims (opens in a new tab)

Thorn (compiling survivor quotes) · Thorn · November 4, 2024

A roundup of direct quotes from Thorn's survey of over 1,600 sextortion victims, plus links to two fuller stories: Ashley Reynolds' account, and Pauline Stuart sharing her son Ryan's story after he died by suicide following a financial sextortion scam. A good entry point for the range of survivor advice: blame the perpetrator, keep perspective, and tell someone.

Reaching out is the best thing you can do. The people around you want what is best for you… They might even gain some respect for your courage.

'I Thought My Life Was Over': Escaping the Sextortion Scammers (opens in a new tab)

BBC News · BBC · 2025

BBC News tells the story of "John," a man with a learning disability who was blackmailed after being coerced into sending an intimate image, lost over £3,000 trying to make it stop, and reached a point of feeling suicidal before confiding in a support charity. He speaks directly to other victims at the end of the piece.

I'm speaking because I want people to know you can survive this. You just need to reach out for help.

My Ex Stalked Me & Shared My Naked Photos. Non-Monogamy Helped Me Heal. (opens in a new tab)

Norma Buster · Refinery29 (The Single Files) · October 2022

Buster, now director of client relations at a victims'-rights law firm, writes about the years of PTSD and shame that followed her ex posting her images online at 19, and how — after years of therapy — she found an unexpected route back to feeling whole in her own body and sexuality. Frank, hopeful, and explicitly about the long arc from victim to survivor.

That's what it means to go from a victim to a survivor, or… a victim to a warrior.

Madison Beer's Nudes Leaked at 15. A Decade Later, They Still Haunt Her. (opens in a new tab)

Madison Beer · Rolling Stone (memoir excerpt, "The Half of It") · 2023

A raw, detailed first-person account of having private images leaked as a young teenager, the online pile-on that followed, and — years later — the decision to publicly reclaim the story instead of continuing to deny it. Beer is candid that healing isn't linear.

I needed to take back my power, no matter the consequences… But most importantly, I am no longer ashamed. Realizing that was the first step.

VOIC.org.uk — Victims of Image Crime: Speak Out (opens in a new tab)

Folami Prehaye and contributing survivors · VOIC (survivor-run site) · Ongoing

A UK survivor-run hub with dozens of first-person posts under "Your Stories" and "My Journey." Standout pieces include "The Road to Recovery — by Sarah (Victim Survivor)"; "Trust" and "A Year in Review, as a Male Survivor of Image Based Sexual Abuse" by David Canham; and an anonymous post, "I'm a Victim — I'm Sharing My Story to Help Others Too." New stories are added regularly.

A life damaged by the thoughtless act of another individual, can be repaired… you will always feel anger towards the individual that has abused you, but anger can be refocussed into something more helpful and creative.

Surrey 'Revenge Porn' Victim Speaks of Six-Month Ordeal (opens in a new tab)

BBC News · BBC · 2014

"Emma," 21, describes discovering her ex had posted explicit images of her on his blog, the months-long fight to get them removed while police said they were powerless under the law at the time, and her direct message to anyone thinking of doing this to someone else. Useful as a historical marker too — this predates the UK's 2015 revenge porn law.

Don't do it. Don't participate in the violation of other people, and don't perpetuate the embarrassment.

Hollie Toups — Testimony Before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee (opens in a new tab)

Hollie Toups · U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation · Written testimony

One of the earliest public faces of the revenge porn survivor movement in the US, Toups gives formal testimony about having her intimate images posted online over a decade ago and the total absence of legal recourse she faced at the time. More policy-focused than the other entries, but it's a survivor speaking in her own words about lasting impact and the case for legal change.