By Law enforcement officials have issued a warning about an alarming spike in the online exploitation of children and teens.
Reports of the online enticement of minors — specifically “Sextortion” — have dramatically increased in recent months, according to a public safety alert issued by the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Sextortion occurs when a person is threatened or blackmailed, usually online, by a person demanding sexual content like photos or videos, or money, according to the alert. It can happen when a child or teen shares an image with someone they think they know or trust. Once predators get the images, they threaten to release them unless the victim sends more images, money or gift cards.
Sextortion schemes usually occur on social media sites, gaming sites, or video chat applications frequently used by teens and children.
Prevention is the key to preventing this crime, according to the report. Sextortion usually only stops when a child either tells an adult or the offender is identified by law enforcement.
For more information, visit Sextortion: The Hidden Pandemic (missingkids.org) and http://www.fbi.gov/StopSextortion.
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