This week, the FBI issued a rare public safety alert warning of an alarming increase in “sextortion” cases targeting children and teens. That’s on the heels of field offices across the country issuing warnings earlier this year. State law enforcement agencies are equally concerned. One former investigator with the New Jersey State Police reported that sextortion cases have increased 400% in the last four years.
This crime begins when an adult masquerading as a teen befriends a minor online, usually via social media or a gaming platform. The adult engages the young person with curiosity and flattery, earning their trust. But the adult soon escalates communications to a sexual level, often by sending explicit images and asking for the same in return. Once the victim reciprocates, the threats and blackmail begin.
Perpetrators are manipulative and relentless. One told a 13-year-old he would rape her and kill her parents if she didn’t perform certain sexual acts on camera. In California, a man coerced at least 30 teenage boys into sending him thousands of dollars by threatening to distribute their explicit photos to family and friends.
