In the digital age, children and their parents find themselves facing a myriad of threats, one of which is the threat of sextortion, which is on the rise according to the FBI. Sextortion, a form of online exploitation targeting children, has been increasing in prevalence as children are spending more time online, making them vulnerable to bad actors.
The FBI released a statement warning about the surge in sextortion cases and cautioned parents to be aware of the issue.
The main motivations behind the crime are either sexual gratification or financial gain.
'Sextortion' involves an offender coercing a child or teen under the age of 18 into creating and sending sexually explicit images or videos. Once the offender obtains the material, they threaten to share it unless the victim complies with their demands. The child may be told to create more sexually explicit material for the gratification of the offender.
Financially-motivated sexploitation involves the offender threatening to release the material unless the child sends them money, usually through gift cards, mobile payment, wire transfers or cryptocurrency.
The FBI said victims of gratification-motivated sexploitation are usually girls between the ages of 10 and 17, while victims of financially-motivated sexploitation are typically boys between the ages of 14 to 17 — however, they caution that any child can become a victim.
The FBI issued a similar warning back in 2022. These crimes can do an immense level of harm to children who are targeted. The abuse and financial toll can have a devastating impact on families – but it can bring about even worse results for many.
These crimes can lead victims to self-harm and have led to suicide. From October 2021 to March 2023, the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations received over 13,000 reports of online financial sextortion of minors. The sextortion involved at least 12,600 victims—primarily boys—and led to at least 20 suicides. In the six months, the FBI observed at least a 20% increase in reporting of financially motivated sextortion incidents involving minor victims compared to the same time frame the previous year.
The rise of digital media has exacerbated the problem, providing predators with more avenues through which to entice children into activities that could turn them into targets. Social media, gaming networks, and other communication platforms have provided fertile ground for sextortionists. David Nanz of the FBI’s Springfield office explained that “Online gaming, gaming consoles, live streaming and video platforms, communications and instant message apps, and social media are all opportunities for offenders to gain access to children.”
The Bureau urged parents to pay more attention to what their children are doing online, especially on their mobile devices.
Agent Ferron said kids can be approached on just about any platform, whether it’s social media, messaging apps or even online video games. She said it’s important for parents to start talking to their kids about this even earlier than you might think is necessary, since kids are getting phones, tablets and playing online games at younger and younger ages.
“There’s unfortunately this mass group of victims that can be found pretty much anywhere there is an internet connection, application platform, gaming systems, you name it,” Ferron said. “Wherever there’s some capability to be able to connect with people from all over the world, you can find predators that may be looking for vulnerable victims.”
This last point is key. The government cannot protect most children from becoming sextortion victims. Parents are on the front lines of this battle. These predators are able to mete out this type of abuse because too many parents remain unaware of their children’s online activities. This makes it all too easy for people from foreign nations to lure kids into these traps, which carry horrific consequences for those becoming ensnared in these schemes.
It is also important that parents maintain a line of open communication with their children. Fostering an environment in which a child feels comfortable discussing these matters with parents can help them mitigate the potential impact of these crimes.
Of course, it can’t hurt to limit the amount of time children are allowed to be on their devices. Indeed, this would create a healthier situation overall, as far too many kids are addicted to their screens. This already carries a slew of negative consequences for children and society at large. As the digital landscape becomes increasingly dangerous for children and adults, an extra layer of vigilance will be needed to prevent bad actors from preying on innocent people.
