CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The FBI wants parents, caregivers and teenagers to be aware sextortion attempts, which is when adults pose as teens to try and entice victims into being sexually exploited for money, typically spike during breaks from school.
Financial sextortion targeting teenage boys between ages 14 and 17 years old is the most common form of this crime seen across the country. FBI Charlotte said, in reality, the number of victims is likely higher than what's reported because so many hesitate to come forward and report the crime.
In these financial sextortion cases, an adult scammer will pretend to be a young girl and manipulate the teenage boy into engaging in explicit activity that is secretly recorded.
The scammer then reveals they have the photos or videos and they threaten the victim to pay money or else the explicit material gets posted online. Robert M. Dewitt, a special agent with FBI Charlotte, said it's up to parents and families to be aware of what their children are doing online and what they may be exposed to.
"Parents need to be intentional with their children when they give them a device," Dewitt said. "They need to know what that device is, they need to know what applications are on that device, and they need to know who their children are communicating with and explain to them about the dangers. Perpetrators understand how to manipulate and communicate with our kids. Again — it's their full-time job."
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Even though it can be embarrassing, FBI Charlotte says children who come forward after becoming a victim of sextortion to a trusted adult, parent, teacher or law enforcement officer can help prevent future incidents from happening to other children.
If you believe you or someone you know is a victim of sextortion:
- Contact local law enforcement or the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov.
- Do not delete anything on your device before law enforcement is able to review it.
- Tell law enforcement everything about the encounters you had online.
More information about sextortion can be found on the FBI's official website.
Contact Destiny Richards at drichards5@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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