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News -- The FBI Memphis Field Office is warning parents and caregivers about an upsurge in teen sextortion instances in middle and west Tennessee. Adults posing as age-appropriate females are coercing young boys to make sexual photographs and videos over social media and then extorting money from them, according to the FBI.
Sextortion occurs when an adult contacts a minor through any online platform that allows them to meet and speak, such as a game, app, or social media account. A predator (appearing as a young girl) utilizes deception and manipulation to persuade a young guy, usually between the ages of 14 and 17, to participate in explicit conduct through video, which is then secretly recorded by the scammer. The scammer then admits to making the tapes and tries to extort money from the victim to keep them from being shared online.
Sextortion is a serious offense. The forcing of a child by an adult to produce what is known as Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) is punishable by up to life in prison for the perpetrator. Children must usually come forward to someone—usually a parent, school, caregiver, or law enforcement—to stop being victimized. The embarrassment that children experience as a result of the action that they were compelled to participate in is usually what keeps them from coming forward. Sextortion perpetrators may have hundreds of victims all over the world, therefore stepping forward to help law authorities identify the offender could save countless additional victims from being sexually exploited.
"Sexual predators can victimize children or teens in their own homes through the devices they use for gaming, homework, and communicating with friends,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas Korneski of the FBI Memphis Field Office. “We want parents and caregivers to talk with their children about schemes like this as education is key to stopping these individuals.”
The FBI provides the following tips to protect you and your children online:
Be selective about what you share online, especially your personal information and passwords. If your social media accounts are open to everyone, a predator may be able to figure out a lot of information about you or your children.
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 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.
Encourage your children to report suspicious behavior to a trusted adult.
If you believe you or someone you know is the victim of sextortion:
Contact your local FBI field office (contact information can be found at www.fbi.gov), the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (1-800-the-lost or Cybertipline.org).
Do not delete anything before law enforcement is able to review it.
Tell law enforcement everything about the encounters you had online; it may be embarrassing, but it is necessary to find the offender.
In 2021, IC3 received more than 18,000 sextortion-related complaints, with losses of more than $13.6 million. This number reflects all types of sextortion reported, not just this particular scheme.
More information about sextortion can be found at: https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/stop-sextortion-youth-face-risk-online-090319
