The Southborough Police Department are trying to educate parents in the community about “Sextortion” — an online crime in which people (especially youth) are manipulated and extorted into providing sexual images.
According to their post, there have been reports in Southborough.
The SPD asked me to share their post with readers. In it they ask parents to learn more about the issue and discuss it with their children and teens. They also encourage the public to report any possible incidents:
What is Sextortion? Not many people are talking about it, but (as you will see in the links to the various Sextortion news stories in our “comments” section below) this online danger is very real and very dangerous. It has been reported, more than once, in Southborough- which is why we want to be proactive in talking about it, spreading awareness, and providing you with some available resources.
Some quick info about Sextortion:
“Sextortion can start on any site, app, messaging platform, or game where people meet and communicate. In some cases, the first contact from the criminal will be a threat. The person may claim to already have a revealing picture or video of a child that will be shared if the victim does not send more pictures. More often, however, this crime starts when young people believe they are communicating with someone their own age who is interested in a relationship or with someone who is offering something of value.
After the criminals have one or more videos or pictures, they threaten to publish that content, or they threaten violence, to get the victim to produce more images. The shame, fear, and confusion children feel when they are caught in this cycle often prevents them from asking for help or reporting the abuse. Caregivers and young people should understand how the crime occurs and openly discuss online safety.” ~ From the FBI website in the provided link.PLEASE- Click on [this Link] to the FBI page dedicated to Sextortion. Take a few minutes to read through it- and then, PLEASE discuss this crime with your children/teenagers. Opening up this discussion with them now could make a world of difference in how they handle these online requests in the future.
If you need to report a possible Sextortion incident- please contact our department at (508) 485-2121; or contact Det. Steve Neivert at sneivert@southboroughma.com or Det. Keith Nichols at knichols@southboroughma.com.
Again- Please talk to your children, teenagers, nieces, nephews, and/or other loved ones who could be affected by this crime. It is so important, as you will see from the attached articles, that we spread awareness about this online danger.
Thank you.
The SPD’s comments included stories of teens (who live elsewhere) reported to have committed suicide after being victimized by sextortion. You can find those links here.
