SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The FBI in Springfield issued a warning about the growing threat of 'sextortion,' a type of crime native to online spaces like gaming networks, social media and communication platforms.
The main motivations behind the crime are either sexual gratification or financial gain.
'Sextortion' involves an offender coercing a child or teen under the age of 18 into creating and sending sexually explicit images or videos. Once the offender obtains the material, they threaten to share it unless the victim complies with their demands. The child may be told to create more sexually explicit material for the gratification of the offender.
Financially-motivated sexploitation involves the offender threatening to release the material unless the child sends them money, usually through gift cards, mobile payment, wire transfers or cryptocurrency.
The FBI said victims of gratification-motivated sexploitation are usually girls between the ages of 10 and 17, while victims of financially-motivated sexploitation are typically boys between the ages of 14 to 17 — however, they caution that any child can become a victim.
In some cases, this crime has led victims to self-harm and suicide. From October 2021 to March 2023, the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations had over 13,000 reports of financial sextortion of minors. Of the at least 12,600 victims — who were primarily boys — 20 cases led to suicide. During a six-month period, the FBI saw a 20% increase in reported cases of financially motivated sextortion against a minor compared to the same period from the year before. The FBI office in Springfield also saw an increase during 2023.
“Online gaming, gaming consoles, live streaming and video platforms, communications and instant message apps, and social media are all opportunities for offenders to gain access to children,” David Nanz of the FBI’s Springfield office said. “The perpetrators will often pose as peers or appear to be from the same geographic location, quickly asking the child to switch to a second platform capable of video calling or chatting. Monitoring your child’s online activity is key to avoiding victimization.”
The FBI has the following tips for anyone experiencing sextortion:
- Understand you are not at fault and you are not alone.
- Ask for help from a trusted adult or law enforcement before sending money or more images. Cooperating with the predator rarely stops the blackmail and harassment—but law enforcement can.
- Report the predator’s account via the platform’s safety feature.
- Block the predator from contacting you.
- Report the scheme immediately to the FBI or local law enforcement.
- Save all interactions; those can help law enforcement identify and stop the predator.
- If sexually explicit images have been shared, visit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Take it Down tool for potential removal.
If you or someone you know has experienced sextortion or financially motivated sextortion, the FBI recommends reporting it to law enforcement immediately, including their office in Springfield at (217) 522-9675. You can also call 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit tips.fbi.gov. Additional information and resources can be found here.