San Antonio police told city leaders this week that reports involving the unlawful sharing of intimate images, sexual coercion and child sexual abuse material climbed 15% in the first quarter of 2026. Investigators reviewed 191 reports from January through March, a rise officials partially tied to smartphones and social apps that make it far too easy to share sensitive content in seconds.
Assistant Chief Jesse Salame briefed the City Council's Public Safety Committee and explained that these cases fall under a Texas "crimes against society" category. That umbrella includes unlawful disclosure or promotion of intimate visual material, sexual coercion and possession or promotion of child sexual abuse material. Salame said sexual coercion cases, in which offenders use threats or blackmail to force victims into sexual acts or to produce images, made up roughly 40 of the incidents. He warned council members that this kind of crime "is literally at your fingertips." The briefing was covered by the San Antonio Express-News.
How the city handles these cases
SAPD assigns these investigations to specialized teams, including the Special Victims Unit and the Human Exploitation Unit, which are listed on the city's police transparency pages. Detectives say some cases are relatively straightforward and can be resolved in a day, while others stretch on for months when subpoenas are needed or platforms delay or decline to respond. Digital forensics and specialized training are often essential, which can add another layer of complexity.
The department has leaned on education and prevention alongside enforcement, pointing residents to details about units and programs on the city's site, according to the City of San Antonio.
Platforms, evidence and the limits of enforcement
SAPD investigators told council members that cooperation from tech platforms is uneven and that timing is critical when it comes to digital evidence. Salame said Google tends to be more responsive to law enforcement requests, while X (formerly Twitter) can be more difficult to work with. Instagram often takes longer to respond than Facebook, which can drag out or complicate an already sensitive investigation.
When that happens, police warned, delays are "detrimental to solving the case." Council members heard those concerns during the briefing, which the San Antonio Express-News reported on in detail.
Legal context
State lawmakers moved in 2025 to widen protections against AI-generated intimate deepfakes and to expand criminal and civil liability for nonconsensual sexually explicit material. Those changes may become increasingly important as police begin to encounter fabricated images.
The bills broaden penalties for producing or threatening to distribute AI-generated sexual material and add tools for victims who seek removal of the content or financial damages, according to reporting by The Dallas Morning News.
What officials want and what parents can do
City Council members pressed SAPD on whether the city can ramp up public-awareness efforts, including district-specific graphics and tool kits for parents and schools, in hopes of discouraging risky sharing among teens before it turns into a criminal case. Salame urged parents to lean on device safeguards and, just as importantly, to talk directly with children about online behavior and what can happen when an image leaves their phone.
He noted that SAPD already offers educational presentations through its Community Engagement and Human Exploitation teams. Residents can find more on those programs, as well as the department's broader transparency materials, via the City of San Antonio.
