The Kelowna RCMP have seen an increase in the number of Sextortion related incidents involving male victims between the age of 14 to 17. Victims are receiving friend requests through popular social media services, then engage in conversations which usually include compliments and flirtatious exchanges. Offenders will then ask for an intimate image of the victim, specifically to include their face. Once the intimate image is sent, the offender begins threatening and attempting to extort the victim. The offender will demand money from the victim and threaten that if it is not sent, the image will be shared on the internet. In some cases, even if money is sent the demands will only increase.
“The increase in the number of complaints at the local detachment may be a result of youth spending more time online during Summer Break. It is recognized that the number of reported incidents to the police is not a true representation of this crime likely due to the personal nature of these incidents and reluctance to report them for fear of embarrassment.” Cpl Tim Russell, Vulnerable Persons Unit. “Our message is simple – Don’t share sexually explicit images with anyone, especially online as you have now forfeited complete control of that image.”
Investigators would like to remind teens and their parents that this crime is often orchestrated from foreign countries.
Canadian Centre for Child Protection has great resources including a short video geared towards teens “DontGetSextorted.ca”
www.protectchildren.ca/en/programs-and-initiatives/dont-get-sextorted/