Sextortion Is A Crime.

Sextortion is a form of blackmail. The criminal act takes place when a stranger online threatens to send a sexual image or video of a victim, often a child or youth, to other people if they don’t pay a ransom or provide more sexual content.

Sextortion is a growing problem in Alberta:

The number of sextortion reports in Calgary is growing. Between 2022 and 2023, there was a 38% increase in reports of sextortion in Alberta. Since 2019, the majority of victims in Alberta were reported to be 15-17 years old. 12-14 year-olds represented 14 cases, whereas 15-17 year olds represented 109 cases.

Of all cases reported to the Calgary Police Service, 80% victims identified as male and 20% as female.

It’s important to remember that in a world where social media is so prevalent in the lives of youth, that we think twice about sharing personal information and photos online with total strangers.

How sextortion occurs:

According to the Canadian Centre For Child Protection, youth, often young males, are tricked into believing they are talking to someone their own age online. They chat over a short period of time, usually only a few hours, before the offender asks the youth for nude photos or videos. Sextorters usually make initial contact with their victims on Instagram or Snapchat, however, sextortion occurs on multiple different online platforms and can occur anywhere online.

Sextorters try to convince their victims to exchange sexual content and often start by sharing a sexual photo first, or offering up a small gift or token of appreciation. This is done to gain trust. The targeted youth are then coerced into sending nude photos or exposing themselves in a sexual act over a livestream and being unknowingly recorded. Once the sexual content is received, the offender often wastes no time making their demands.

Girls are most often extorted for more sexual photos and videos. Boys are usually extorted for money.

Common tactics used by Sextorters:

Sextorters often send a nude photo first, to convince their victim(s) that it is okay to engage in sending photos or videos of their own.
If a targeted youth seems hesitant, the perpetrator sometimes offers to send small gifts, like an online gift card, to reel their victim in.
Once ransom demands are made, if a youth doesn’t quickly comply, sextorters often threaten to ruin the victim’s life or hurt their family or friends.
Often times a sextorter might create several accounts to make it seem like more than one person is targeting the youth. This is a pressure tactic to coerce youth to comply.
Sextorters commonly threaten to share the sexual image/video with the youth’s teachers or principal, their social media contacts or parents.
They may even threaten to share the sexual image/video with newspapers, news outlets and TV stations and convincing the youth that their life is over if they don’t comply.

What youth should do if they are being sextorted:

If a youth engages with sharing sexual photos or videos, and someone is threatening to share them, here’s what CyberTip.ca suggests:

Make a copy of any messages or conversations with the sextorter(s). Take screenshots of the conversation, their account and any information you might have about them.
Immediately stop talking to them and block them. Deactivate any of the accounts you’re using to communicate with the sextorter so they can’t access your friends list or other personal information. It’s important that social media accounts are not deleted. By deactivating your accounts, the police can still recover messages and information about the offender.
Don’t give in to their demands or threats. Never pay ransom money and never send additional nudes. The situation won’t get better if you do.
Tell an adult who can help. It might be embarrassing, but you need to tell someone or the situation could get worse.
Take a deep breath. Remember, you’re not the one breaking the law. Sextortion is a crime, and you’re not the one who is going to get in trouble.
Call the Calgary Police, RCMP or your local police and file a report with them. Provide the police with any information you have about the offender.
File a report with Cybertip.ca
NeedHelpNow.ca is a great resource for youth seeking help

Sextirtion commonly takes place on Snapchat or Instagram. — Information courtesy of CyberTip.ca

How to stay safe online:

Be selective about what you share online. If your social media accounts are open to everyone, a stranger may be able to figure out a lot of information about you before they even reach out to you.
Be wary of any stranger who reaches out to you online. Block or ignore messages from strangers if they don’t seem right.
Be aware that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online. Videos and photos on a social media profile are not proof that a person is who they claim to be.
Be suspicious if you meet someone on a game or app and they ask you to start talking to them 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 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 an adult.