Criminal Liability for Online Gender-Based Sextortion Against Women Under Indonesian Criminal Law

Rafli H. Husain (Fakultas Hukum Universitas Negeri Gorontalo)
Dian Ekawaty Ismail (Fakultas Hukum Universitas Negeri Gorontalo)
Mohamad Rivaldi Moha (Fakultas Hukum Universitas Negeri Gorontalo)

Journal of Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections
Vol. 1 No. 3 (2026): Journal of Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections

The development of digital technology has prompted an increase in Online Gender-Based Violence (OGBV) cases, particularly in the form of sextortion targeting women, which has not been specifically regulated under Indonesian criminal law. This study aims to analyze the criminal liability of sextortion perpetrators under Indonesian criminal law, using normative legal research methods with statutory and conceptual approaches. The findings indicate that the handling of sextortion in Indonesia remains fragmented across multiple regulations, namely the Criminal Code, the Electronic Information and Transactions Law, the Pornography Law, and the Sexual Violence Crimes Law. This regulatory fragmentation creates legal uncertainty, judicial inconsistency, and suboptimal protection for victims. Therefore, a specific sextortion criminal provision with a gender perspective is urgently needed to ensure legal certainty and substantive justice for female victims in the digital era.