TEXAS, USA — The FBI is warning the public that it has seen an increase in sextortion incidents involving young children, particularly boys.
Adults have been posing as young girls on social media and coercing young boys to produce sexual images or videos before extorting money from them.
Sextortion crimes usually involve adults contacting minors, often boys age 14-17, through social media, apps or even games.
After encouraging them to engage in explicit activity over video, the adult reveals they have recorded the activity and threatens to post it online if the child or teen does not send them money.
These victims often have to tell an adult in their lives, such as a parent or teacher, what has happened, which the FBI says can prevent victims from coming forward as this can make them feel embarrassed.
However, coming forward can help law enforcement identify offenders who might have hundreds of victims all over the world. This can help those who have already been victimized and prevent others from being targeted.
Anyone caught coercing a child to produce Child Sexual Abuse Material will face heavy penalties, including up to life in prison.
To help prevent children from being taken advantage of, the FBI says parents should talk to their children about internet safety and encourages everyone to follow these tips:
- Be very careful about what you share online
- Be wary of anyone you encounter for the first time online
- Know that people online can pretend to be anyone or anything and videos/photos are not necessarily proof
- Be suspicious if someone you meet online asks you to start talking to them on a different platform.
Additionally, you should encourage your children to report any suspicious behavior to a trusted adult.
If you or someone you know is a victim of sextortion, you are instructed to contact your local FBI office, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
You should also make sure not to delete anything about the situation until law enforcement has been able to look at it.
Finally, make sure to tell everything about the online encounters to law enforcement so they have the best chances of finding the offender.
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