Scotland sees only one sextortion conviction last year

In Scotland, only one person was convicted for sextortion last year, despite thousands falling victim to these scams. Sextortion often targets young men, luring them into sharing explicit images online. Victims are then threatened with the release of these images unless they pay money. Over the past five years, about 1,200 children, some as young as ten, have been affected. This includes the tragic case of 16-year-old Murray Dowey, who took his own life in December 2023 after being tormented by a sextortion scam. The criminals behind these schemes are typically located overseas, making it difficult to hold them accountable. Authorities reported a significant rise in online threats and extortion, with 2,080 incidents logged in 2023-24, a 14% increase from the previous year. Yet, the number of convictions remains very low. In fact, only 10 charges related to disclosing intimate images were reported, and only one person received a community payback order. Scottish Conservative MSP Sharon Dowey emphasized the need for more resources to combat such crimes and to punish offenders effectively. Many victims struggle to recover from these experiences, highlighting the importance of addressing the issue seriously. The UK's National Crime Agency believes that sextortion is greatly under-reported. They urge victims to know they are not to blame and to seek help. Police Scotland launched the Fearless Scotland initiative to educate young people about these scams and encourage them to report incidents to trusted adults. In response to the growing threat, Police Scotland is planning to create a Cyber and Fraud command to improve detection and support for victims. They encourage anyone who has been targeted to report the crime without fear or embarrassment.