SHERIFF CARMINE MARCENO’S MAY 2025 FRAUD ALERT: SEXTORTION AND OUR CHILDREN

It often begins in a friendly manner. Your child/teen meets someone online and the conversation begins. The meeting can occur in a messaging platform, through online video games, a text…virtually anywhere.

The child believes that she/he is communicating with a peer, perhaps someone interested in developing a relationship, and begins to develop a bond with this individual.

To many adults, the concept of “bonding” or establishing a relationship with a person that we have never met, and have only exchanged text with, is nearly inconceivable. To a child or a teen, it is commonplace.

Law enforcement, across the nation, has seen a significant increase in cases of “Sextortion;” a crime in which individuals convince children to send inappropriate, explicit photos and then threaten to post them on social media sites, email them to family members, share with classmates, etc.

These criminals demand money, sexual favors and/or additional sexually inappropriate videos/photos.

In addition to threats to share these sensitive photos, these criminals have indicated that they know where the victim resides, where family members work, what school they attend…and threaten harm.

Imagine the fear experienced by a young child or teenager caught in this position.

They feel unable to approach their parents or guardians having shared inappropriate photos. They are horrified to think about classmates seeing these explicit pictures. They are fearful that harm will come to them, to family members, pets, loved ones, etc.

As a result, they believe that fulfilling the demands made upon them is their only option. The demands are horrific.

It is highly recommended that parents and guardians discuss this crime with their children as soon as possible. Victims can be virtually any age; waiting until they’re “older” might not be prudent.

In reality, this is a technologically advanced version of the “don’t talk to strangers” conversation that we have all received as children.

“I recently read a story about a child who mistakenly sent inappropriate pictures to someone online. It must have been awful for that child.”

“Hey, has anyone that you know ever sent an embarrassing picture to someone only to have it shared at school?”

While the conversation is indeed a difficult one, find a way to open the door to this discussion.

Ask your child if they realize how sharing sexually explicit material online can lead to a serious predicament. Ask them if they can imagine how another individual could use that photo/video to harm them.

Assure them that should they know of “anyone” in such a dilemma, they should always feel comfortable sharing that information with you. Children need to understand that they are not alone and that you are there to help.

Parents should immediately reach out to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (800-CALL-FBI) when learning about incidents involving sextortion.