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
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.