The FBI is warning caregivers, educators, parents, and kids about the risks and dangers associated with online activity that could encourage and solicit a minor to participate in sexual activity.
Sextortion is when a perpetrator forces a minor to produce and transmit pornographic photos or videos. Once the child provides sexually explicit material, the perpetrator threatens to release the compromising material and demands more from the victim.
These criminals want to be gratified sexually, according to the FBI.
Sextortion with a financial motivation is when someone forces a minor to produce and send sexually explicit content.
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Threatening to release the compromising material, offenders usually demand payment in the form of gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, or mobile payment services. These criminals are driven by more than just sexual fulfillment; money is their driving force.
According to the FBI, victims are typically males between the ages of 14 to 17, but any child can become a victim.
For financially motivated sextortion, offenders are usually located outside the United States and primarily in West African countries such as Nigeria and Ivory Coast or Southeast Asian countries such as the Philippines.
These crimes have caused victims to commit suicide as well as self-harm. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations received over 13,000 reports of minors being financially extorted online between October 2021 and March 2023. At least 12,600 victims—mostly boys—were subjected to sextortion, which resulted in at least 20 suicides.
Compared to the same period the previous year, the FBI saw at least a 20% increase in the reporting of financially motivated sextortion incidents involving minor victims during the six-month period from October 2022 to March 2023.
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“The consequences of sextortion are being felt across the country,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “In an effort to protect the American public, the FBI encourages parents, educators, caregivers, and children to learn more about the steps they can take to shield themselves and their loved ones from this crime. We and our partners will relentlessly pursue criminals who perpetuate this deplorable activity.”
If you or someone you know believes that they are a victim of sextortion or financially motivated sextortion, immediately report the activity to law enforcement. You can report it to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or visiting tips.fbi.gov.
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