US authorities sounded the alarm on Monday (December 19th) over what they call an "
explosion
" in cases of children being forced to pay after being pressured into sending sexual images, a phenomenon known as “sextortion”.
According to the American federal police, the FBI, law enforcement in the United States identified more than 7,000 cases last year of "
sextortion
" involving young children and adolescents, for a total of 3,000 victims.
Most of the cases involve boys, more than a dozen of whom committed suicide, the FBI said.
The agency says most of the sextortion operations come from outside the United States, mainly from Nigeria and the Ivory Coast.
They usually start in chat rooms and on online gaming sites, with people using fake female identities.
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The victims are persuaded to send sexual images of themselves, before being threatened with publication of these photos if a sum of money is not paid, according to the FBI.
The young people targeted are generally between 14 and 17 years old, but the police have interviewed victims as young as 10 years old.
"
The shame, fear, and confusion that victims feel when trapped often prevents them from seeking help
," the FBI said.
The federal police encourage parents to educate their children about the existence of this threat.
"
The FBI has seen a terrifying rise in financial sextortion cases targeting underage boys - and the fact is, most victims who are afraid to come forward aren't even included in those numbers
," the director said in a statement. from the FBI, Christopher Wray.
“
Victims may think there is no way out
,” he said.
"
It is up to all of us to assure them that they will not get into trouble, that there is hope, and that they are not alone
."
