Sexstortion is on the rise in our area, and those most at risk are young people.
Sexstortion is a form of extortion which is when an individual threatens another person that they will share explicit pictures or video if not compensated – Constable Kim Lyon, with Perth OPP says that it’s difficult to track,
With the accessibility of social media, young people are particularly vulnerable,
Very often, the victim doesn’t know the perpetrator, having met online. They can often by enticed by false promises, or the semblance of a close personal relationship, prompting the sharing of explicit materials.
According to Constable Lyon, it’s important that parents start having those conversations with their children about sending things to people online, and talking to strangers.
She also says that crimes like these are very difficult to track, as they’re often committed by people that don’t live in our community, or even our country. This means that even if the crime is reported to law enforcement, there’s usually little they can do to help.
This is why it’s important that parents work to engage in an open dialogue with their kids about the risks of sexstortion, and work to educate themselves about the dangers of talking to strangers online.
Written by: B. Shakyaver