The Bucks County Sheriff’s Office is warning parents and students about the rising threat of online sextortion and citing an increase in cases as children return to school with internet-enabled devices.
The warning follows trends highlighted by the FBI after a significant increase in cases where children and teenagers are coerced into sending explicit images online.
Sextortion often begins on social media, gaming sites and messaging apps, where predators misrepresent their identities to build trust. Once compromising images are obtained, perpetrators use them to blackmail victims, demanding more images or financial payments under the threat of public exposure.
Bucks County Sheriff Fred Harran said the emotional and psychological consequences for victims can be devastating.
The sheriff, a longtime law enforcement official, urged open communication between parents and children about online safety.
“The safety and well-being of our young people are our top priority,” Harran said. “As our students head back to school and spend more time online, it is imperative that we, as a community, are vigilant and informed about the dangers lurking in the digital world.”
Harran stressed the importance of young people understanding the permanence of digital content and the risks of online interactions with strangers.
“We urge parents to have open and honest conversations with their children about online safety and to reassure them that they can always come to you for help without fear of reprisal,” he said.
The dangers of these schemes were underscored in June when two Nigerian men were sentenced to prison in Philadelphia for a sextortion plot that led to the suicide of a young man in Montgomery County.
“These scammers’ sole aim is to get money from scared and vulnerable young people, with absolutely no regard for their feelings or the potential fallout,” U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania David Metcalf said at the time.
While local law enforcement has limited power outside the United States, the FBI and other federal agencies work to track down overseas suspects.
“Those who exploit others through sextortion will be held accountable, no matter where they try to hide,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division.
Earlier this year, Harran hosted a field hearing on protecting students online, which brought together state legislators, law enforcement and victim assistance experts.
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Dr. Mary Worthington, director of prevention and training at the Network of Victim Assistance, or NOVA, testified that technology is placing children and adolescents at risk.
“Reports show that 20% of teenage internet users say they have been the target of unwanted sexual solicitation, and according to Thorn’s 2022 report, 1 in 3 minors reported engaging in some form of online sexual interaction,” Worthington said. “We strongly advocate for legislation that requires continuing online safety education programs.”
The sheriff’s office and the FBI stated that young people exploited online are victims and should seek help immediately. The following steps are recommended:
- Do not delete any messages or images.
- Immediately report the incident to a trusted adult.
- Report the incident to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at tips.fbi.gov.
- Contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for support at 1-800-THE-LOST or cybertipline.org.
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