Sextortion cases jump by 62 per cent, teen boys biggest target
A disturbing new report shows cases of sextortion have increased by 62 per cent over the last six months, with teen boys being the biggest target.
The report was authored by Cybertip.ca, Canada's national child sexual abuse and exploitation tipline run by The Canadian Centre for Child Protection.
"So sextortion is essentially blackmail related to the distribution and recording of sexual abuse and exploitation material," said Stephen Sauer, Cybertip.ca's director.
"A teen may be engaged in an online conversation with an individual. They may be coerced into undressing or a sexual act that is then recorded, and then the individual comes back to them and threatens to share that recording with family and friends if they don't pay a certain amount of money."
Cybertip.ca's report found that males aged 15-17 are most at risk for sextortion.
"They are online exploring their sexuality. They are connecting with individuals they don't know and they are really looking for an outlet for social interaction," said Sauer.
"I think the individuals who are exploiting these youth really understand how youth are vulnerable in this space and understand that often they will quickly comply once they are threatened because they don't want anybody to find out that this happened to them."
Sauer believes more needs to be done to protect youth online.
"We see with online platforms like Snapchat and Instagram being the initial way to contact youth. There has to be regulation put in place to ensure that individuals don't have that access to youth and children on these types of platforms because it really is a gateway to exploitation."
Victims of sexploitation should report it immediately, Sauer said.
"The first thing parents should do is report to Cybertip.ca or your local law enforcement when your child is a victim of sextortion."
Sauer said victims should never comply with the demands of the person trying to blackmail them.
"One of the things we want parents to ensure their youth isn't complying with the demands. If they believe the youth has complied with the demands, make sure to stop the money and ensure that money doesn't go through if possible.”
"Save all the chats as a result of this and then connect with us. If they think the material has been shared, then we can certainly help with that."
More information can be found at Cybertip.ca.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.