Children pornography, online sextorsion, revenge porn: the provisions of Greek penal code and the EU regulatory developments

Abstract

In contemporary society, photographs and videos depicting an individual’s sexual or intimate life can be easily reproduced and disseminated digitally without their consent, reaching potentially millions of recipients. Pursuant to directive (EU) 2024/1385 on combating violence against women, as well as following the ratification of the Istanbul Convention, most EU Member States have codified the core elements of the aforementioned conduct within their respective Criminal Codes – such as art. 346 of the Greek Penal Code – as well as within special criminal statutes concerning the violation of personal data protection. Αs a result of these overlapping legislative frameworks, a number of interpretative issues arise, some of which are examined in the present article. This paper examines the online sexual extortion of minors by adults, commonly described as sextortion. Its aim is not the mere description of a new criminal practice, but the legal assessment of a form of coercion which affects sexual freedom, privacy, personal dignity and, where minors are concerned, the conditions of their undisturbed sexual development.