Sextortion: Exposing how online predators are preying on teenagers, demanding money in exchange
Sextortion is defined as "the practice of extorting money or sexual favours from someone by threatening to reveal evidence of their sexual activity“, and in South Africa and around the world, online predators are preying on girls and boys.
SVP Content Strategy & Evangelist at KnowBe4 Africa, Anna Collard, said the perpetrators often masquerade as peers or love interests online, only to turn around and threaten to release the compromising material unless the victim complies with their demands for more images, sexual acts, or monetary payments.
And according to the Internet Watch Foundation, it has received more reports involving sextortion in the first six months of 2023 than the entire previous year — a staggering increase of 257%.
According to their findings, boys are disproportionately more at risk than girls, but both are at risk.
Attorney at Marx and Bernard Attorneys, Amy Bernard, said according to the police Cyber Crime Unit, there has been a surge in cases.
She said it is important for parents to educate their youngsters about sextortion.
“These things are happening. Teens are going through a phase where they are experimenting and are sending things they should not,” Bernard said.
“We need to be a bit more understanding with teenagers, and because of the times we live in, it does lead to a lot more risk for them. The more open we are, the more we discuss this with them and discuss sex with them, the more comfortable they are to come speak to us about it.”
She added that in the event of someone being in a position where they are being sextorted, they can take legal action.
“If this happens to a teenager, you can take civil and criminal legal action. This needs to be reported to police and if they know who has distributed the material, they could potentially have a civil case,” Bernard said.
Social media law expert, Emma Sadleir, said the prevalence of sextortion cannot be ignored.
“Do not send nudes to people you do not know or have just met online. Do not take at face value that people are who they are they are online,” she said.
Tech giant, Meta is developing new tools aimed and protecting teens from sextortion.
The AI-driven 'nudity protection' tool will find and blur nude images that were sent to underage users.
In June, the Stellenbosch University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) looking at finding new approaches and strategies in the fight against corruption.
Speaking during the symposium where the MOU was signed, chairperson of the Commission for Gender Equality, South Africa, advocate Nthabiseng Sepanya and former public protector Prof Thuli Madonsela both spoke for the need for a gendered lens when tackling corruption and focused on the often-overlooked issue of sextortion which greatly affects women and girls in society.
Sepanya said sextortion is rarely included in the definition of corruption, despite mounting evidence that women are made to provide sexual favours in exchange for promotions.
Globally, the Federal Bureau of Investigation or FBI said victims are typically males between the ages of 14 to 17, but any child can become a victim.
It said these crimes can lead victims to self-harm and have led to suicide. From October 2021 to March 2023, the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations received over 13,000 reports of online financial sextortion of minors. The sextortion involved at least 12,600 victims — primarily boys — and led to at least 20 suicides.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) issued the following advice for parents and teens:
- Never share any explicit images or video material with anyone.
- Check the privacy and security settings. If your social media or internet accounts are open to everyone, a predator has access to a lot of information about you.
- Block and ignore messages from strangers.
- Be aware that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online.
Ask for help:
- These criminals will make you feel scared, confused and embarrassed. No matter the threats, they are the ones breaking the law and you must report this.
- Report any suspicious behaviour or victimisation to the site administrator.
- Report this to the nearest police station.
IOL News