LANSING, Mich. — With young people spending more time at home and on the internet, Attorney General Dana Nessel and the Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators (MASA) are urging parents and teens to be on high alert for predators who trick teens into exposing themselves online.
In a release from the AG's Office, it says ‘sextortion’ occurs when the predator befriends a teen, manipulates the teen into exposing themselves by sending photos or videos and then threatens to share the material if the teen doesn’t send money or inappropriate messages.
“Technology continues to be a crucial tool as we work to stay connected throughout the pandemic, but it’s important to remember that any child allowed to use the internet in any capacity should be educated on how to protect themselves from predators,” said Nessel. “I am grateful to the Michigan Association of Superintendents & Administrators for raising awareness of this important message and I implore parents and guardians to remain actively engaged in their children’s online activities. I encourage anyone who may be a victim of sextortion to notify law enforcement immediately.”
According to the AG Office, two male high school students in an Allegan County school district were recent victims of sextortion. The teens were lured into a private video chat by a young girl and were later blackmailed via email with demands of payment via Western Union or PayPal.
The FBI recommends the following measures to help educate and prevent children from sextortion:
- Make children aware that anything done online may be available to others;
- Make sure children’s apps and social networking sites’ privacy settings are set to the strictest level possible;
- Anyone who asks a child to engage in sexually explicit activity online should be reported to a parent, guardian or law enforcement immediately;
- Victims should not be afraid to tell law enforcement if they are being sexually exploited because it is not a crime for a child to send sexually explicit images to someone if they are compelled to do so;
- Parents should put personal computers in a central location in the home;
- Parents should review and approve apps downloaded to smart phones and mobile devices and monitor activity on those devices;
- Ensure an adult is present and engaged when children communicate via webcam; and
- Discuss internet safety with children before they engage in any online activity and maintain those discussions as children become teenagers.
If you’re unsure of what to do if you or someone you know might be a victim of sextortion:
- Contact OK2SAY, your local law enforcement agency, your local FBI field office, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children;
- Do not delete anything before law enforcement is able to review it; and
- Ensure that you tell law enforcement everything about the encounters you or someone you know had online. The information you provide will be crucial to their investigation.
“Cybercriminals and scammers will continue to find ways to prey on unsuspecting victims, and it’s critically important that we remain vigilant,” Nessel said. “Parents can monitor their children’s online activity and discuss with them the potential threats that exist in the digital world, and if anyone finds themselves in a position where they may have become the victim of a sextortion crime, I again encourage you to file a report with authorities so we can take the appropriate measures.”
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