Boys 14-17 increasingly targeted by online sextortion

Boys aged 14 to 17 are increasingly becoming victims of online sexual extortion, known as sextortion, according to the National Crime Agency (NCA). This disturbing trend shows that about 90 percent of sextortion victims are young boys, even though girls often represent most victims in child exploitation cases. Organized crime groups operating from countries like Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and the Philippines are behind this rise in sextortion. These criminals blackmail boys into paying money by threatening to share intimate images if they do not comply. The NCA has launched a new campaign to raise awareness about this issue among boys aged 15 to 17, using social media platforms such as Instagram, Reddit, and Snapchat. The campaign aims to teach teenagers how sextortion works and the tactics used by offenders. It also provides guidance on how to report such incidents. In some cases, blackmail occurs just one hour after the first contact. The NCA's director of threat leadership, Alex Murray, stated that sextortion is a cruel crime that can lead to devastating consequences, including suicide. Last year, the NCA's CEOP Safety Centre received 380 reports of sextortion. Additionally, UK police recorded an average of 117 cases involving under-18s each month in the first five months of 2024. In the U.S., more than 28,000 sextortion reports were received globally in 2024, highlighting the increase from the previous year. Research before the campaign revealed that many boys do not fully understand sextortion. About 74% of those surveyed could not recognize requests for nude images as warning signs. Furthermore, nearly three-quarters did not know how to report this type of crime, and only 12% felt they could be at risk. The NCA also provided advice for parents and caregivers on how to identify sextortion risks and support victims. This campaign follows an alert sent to teachers, which improved their ability to recognize and handle cases of sextortion. The issue of child sexual abuse is a growing concern, with nearly 40,000 offenses reported in 2023, and over half of these crimes were committed by individuals aged 10 to 17.