(Canadian Press)

By David Opinko

Reports of teens being sextorted up 62% in Canada

Sep 24, 2021 | 2:18 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Cybertip.ca is reporting a harrowing trend in youths being targeted online.

They say there has been a 62 per cent increase of teens being sextorted over the past six months, with boys between the ages of 15-17 being the biggest target.

“Sextortion is blackmail; it’s when someone online threatens to send a sexual image or video of you to other people if you don’t pay them or provide more sexual images or videos.” reads a media release from Cybertip.

According to the agency, sextortion usually starts with normal online conversations. If the offender is successful in moving the victim to a more private platform, talks become personal and sexual.

Cybertip has seen this type of activity rising on online platforms such as Omegle™, Snapchat®, or Instagram®, and then the communication moving to Google+ Hangouts® or Skype®, where youth are coerced to undress on camera.

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Oftentimes, teens are tricking into thinking they are talking to a peer. Boys may be under the impression that the person on the other end is a girl who has an interest in them.

“Offenders have been known to go as far as using pre-recorded video—for example, a teen girl taking off her clothes—to convince the youth to do the same. The video chats are then screen recorded or screen grabbed, and the resulting images or videos are used to sextort the teen.”

The offender may demand money from the youth in exchange for a promise to not post the intimate images or videos, frequently ranging from anywhere from $70 to $700.

Here are a few things you can do if your teen is being sextorted:

• Stay calm and report it — Immediately report what has happened to Cybertip.ca or contact police in your jurisdiction. Offenders who engage in sextortion are commonly targeting numerous children.
• Immediately have your teen stop all communication — Deactivate (but don’t delete) any of the accounts your teen is using to communicate with the individual.
• DO NOT comply with the threat — In other words, never pay money. If your teen has paid money, check to see if it has been collected and, if not, quickly cancel the payment.
• Keep the correspondence – Keep information such as the person’s username(s), social media account information, a copy of the communications, along with any images and/or videos that your teen sent.

Some things that Cybertip can do to help includes:

• Safe reporting — If you are being sextorted, there is help! Report what has happened to Cybertip.ca through an online report form (you can remain anonymous if you choose) or via the toll-free number at 1-866-658-9022.
  • If the situation involves an adult who has or is sharing an intimate image or video of someone under 18, it should be immediately reported to local police or Cybertip.ca.
• Help with image removal — If the image or video has been posted online, Cybertip.ca analysts can help to get child sexual abuse material or intimate images of a minor removed from the platform.
  • They can also help guide you on actions to take to have it removed yourself, if you prefer.
• Provide support — Cybertip.ca analysts can provide practical steps to help regain control over the situation, including connecting youth to Canadian Centre for Child Protection (which operates Cybertip.ca) support services who work extensively with teens, schools, and families during instances of sextortion. They can help with everything from emotional support to connecting you with therapy or victim services, if needed.

For more information and resources, visit cybertip.ca/sextortion.