CIBOLO, Texas – An increase in reports of sextortion has prompted Cibolo Police Department to issue a warning for parents.
Sextortion is a form of online blackmail that involves a victim being threatened or coerced into sending money or explicit images online.
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“The victim often believes they are communicating with someone their own age who is interested in a relationship. The victim is asked to send a revealing or nude photo of themselves often times after first receiving a revealing or nude photo first from the suspect. After the criminals have one or more pictures of the victim they will threaten or blackmail the victim into sending money with threats that the images will be shared publicly with others on the social media site,” Cibolo police said in a statement.
Teens and other young adult victims are often embarrassed and don’t know where to turn for help following a sextortion incident, police said.
“The stress from the situation has caused some teens in other areas of the United States to take their own lives,” the statement reads.
FBI Special Agent Jim Thompson, who works at the San Antonio FBI office, told KSAT in May that the current trend for sextortion is targeting young boys.
“Generally boys as young as 10 all the way up to 17,” Thompson said.
Cibolo police said sextortion is most common on apps like Instagram and Snapchat but also occurs on children’s games like Roblox and Minecraft.
The FBI has also reported a huge increase in the number of cases of sextortion.
Cibolo police shared the following 30-second conversations that parents should have with their children:
The New Version of Don’t Talk to Strangers
- When you’re online, has anyone you don’t know ever tried to contact or talk to you?
- What did you do or what would you do if that happened?
- Why do you think someone would want to reach a kid online?
- You know, it’s easy to pretend to be someone you’re not online and not every person is a good person. Make sure you block or ignore anything that comes in from someone you don’t know in real life.
The Power of a Picture
- Has anyone you know ever sent a picture of themselves that got passed around school or a team or club?
- What’s possible anytime you send someone a picture?
- What if that picture were embarrassing?
- Can you think about how someone could use that kind of picture against a person?
I’m Here to Help
- I read an article today about kids being pressured to send images and video of their bodies to a person they met online. Have you ever heard about anything like that?
- Sometimes they were being threatened and harassed—scary stuff.
- You know, if you are ever feeling like something is going on—online or off—that feels scary or wrong or over your head, my first concern is going to be helping you. You can always come to me.
The FBI recommends the following for helping protect yourself and your children against sextortion:
- Be selective about what you share online. If your social media accounts are open to everyone, a predator may be able to figure out a lot of information about you.
- Be wary of anyone you encounter for the first time online. Block or ignore messages from strangers.
- Be aware that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that people are who they claim to be. Images can be altered or stolen. In some cases, predators have even taken over the social media accounts of their victims.
- Be suspicious if you meet someone on one game or app and this person asks you to start talking on a different platform.
- Be in the know. Any content you create online—whether it is a text message, photo, or video—can be made public. And nothing actually “disappears” online. Once you send something, you don’t have any control over where it goes next.
- Be willing to ask for help. If you are getting messages or requests online that don’t seem right, block the sender, report the behavior to the site administrator, or go to an adult. If you have been victimized online, tell someone.
If young people are being exploited, they are the victim of a crime and should report it. Contact your local police department or call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or report it online at tips.fbi.gov.
Related:
‘Sextortion’ trend targeting children online rising in San Antonio, nationwide