Saanich Police are briefing parents and youth on how to deal with cases of sextortion.
Sextortion is a form of blackmail in which a perpetrator threatens to release intimate images that are obtained through online manipulation.
Offenders will often reach out via social media apps and engage with individuals through casual conversation that eventually turns more and more sexual in nature. Once explicit images are sent, the offender then uses threats and aggressive behaviour to extort money from the victim.
According to Cybertip.ca, over 2,300 reports of sextortion were received by the website from September 2022 to August 2023. Of those, 91 per cent of all cases were boys, with 84 per cent of the cases taking place through Snapchat or Instagram.
Saanich police also say they receive several cases a month, with reports increasing since 2022.
Police say that parents should talk with their children about online safety and monitor their children’s activity online.
If someone has been a victim of sextortion, they should stop all communication with the offender, deactivate their social media accounts, save all conversations with the offender and contact local police.
Victims should also tell any legal guardian and report the user’s account via the social media platform they are using.
More tips on how to avoid sextortion can be found on the Cybertips.ca website.
Cole Sorenson
