Sexual gratification as a perpetrator intent is distinct from financially motivated abuse, though the tactics may appear similar.
Thorn's 2017 sextortion research found that "threats overwhelmingly involved demands for explicit imagery," with "86% of victims threatened by online offenders and 62% from offline offenders" receiving such demands (Thorn, 2017). Primarily sexually (rather than, say, financially)-motivated perpetrators often exhibit different behavioral patterns, including longer grooming periods and more persistent contact attempts.
The rise of generative AI has created new avenues for sexually motivated abuse - research indicates that "deepfake image-based abuse, including deepfake pornography, represents a significant and increasing threat, with estimates suggesting it comprises 96% of all deepfake videos online" with around 99% of this type of content depicting women (Lakshmi, 2025).
Voyeuristic recording represents another significant category, where perpetrators use technology to capture intimate moments without consent for their own sexual gratification.
Sexually motivated perpetrators often exhibit persistent behavior patterns and may escalate their activities over time, seeking increasingly explicit or degrading content for personal satisfaction.