Sextortion is on the rise. This is an online crime where the perpetrator threatens or coerces a victim into sending explicit images or videos of themselves. From October 2022 to March 2023, the FBI reported a 20% increase in sextortion cases involving minors. To understand what parents need to know about sextortion, I chatted with Clayton Cranford, a leading child safety expert, former law enforcement officer, and founder of Cyber Safety Cop.
Predators can operate in violent online networks. Recently, a violent online group calling themselves 764 has begun coordinated targeting of children, extorting victims into producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and self-harm videos.
One of the newest trends that concerns Cranford is the use of AI. “Predators no longer need a real photo to make a threat credible — they can take an innocent picture off your child's Instagram and use "nudify" apps to generate a fake explicit image, then use that fake to blackmail,” he says.
Part of the danger, Cranford warns, is that kids assume they’re safe because they haven’t sent any images. “That false sense of security is dangerous … an image being fake doesn't stop a criminal from using it as a weapon.”
Parents are often surprised at who victimizes their child. “Increasingly the threat comes from someone the child actually knows — an ex holding old photos, or a ‘friend of a friend’ who felt legitimate,” Cranford warns.
As kids have increasingly moved online, so have sextortionists. Grooming and sextortion can happen on any platform that allows for interaction, including:
The other trend that worries Cranford is the increased speed of financial sextortion. Largely aimed at teen boys, financial sextortion “now moves from ‘hey, you're cute’ to a full-blown money threat in a matter of hours, sometimes minutes.’”
We tell our kids not to talk to adults they don’t know online, but sextortion predators use fake ages and photos to pose as attractive peers, often aided by AI image generators.
Conversations typically start innocently, with the predator providing something they think the child craves, like praise, a listening ear, friendship, or romance. After establishing a connection, they systematically push boundaries, getting increasingly personal.
Cranford says he doesn’t want to scare parents; he simply wants them to be prepared. Here are actions you can take today to protect your child from sextortion:
Insisting sextortion could never happen to your child is exactly what leaves your family unprepared and vulnerable. “I’ve never once met a parent whose child was targeted who saw it coming,” says Cranford. “Sextortion doesn't discriminate. Predators have gone after kids as young as 9, honor students, star athletes, boys and girls, from the most loving and involved homes you can imagine.”
Cranford stresses that the single best protection isn’t a filter or an app. “It's building enough trust now that your child will come to you before [something happens and] the shame takes over. That's a conversation worth having whether you think it'll happen to your family or not.”
Here are the four steps Cranford recommends taking if your child is a victim of sextortion:
If your child is a victim of sextortion, it doesn’t mean they’re a “bad kid,” nor is it a reflection of your parenting. Remember: these criminals are professional manipulators.
“Coming at them with ‘What did you do?!’ only drives them back into silence right when they need you most,” says Cranford. Instead, “swallow the panic and lead with love: thank your child for telling you and make it crystal clear they're not in trouble.”
You don’t have to fight this alone. When sextortion is reported as soon as possible, law enforcement can trace accounts and sometimes intervene before images ever spread, and reporting can protect other kids, too.
Most kids do recover. Your unconditional support is what will carry your child through this difficult experience. Consider professional help as well; a therapist who specializes in adolescent trauma can help support your child learn how to process their feelings and cope.
Don’t assume sextortion can’t happen to your child; it’s a crime that doesn’t discriminate. Take steps to protect your child, monitor their online activity, and build trust so they feel safe coming to you for help. If your child is the victim of sextortion, respond with love instead of panic and reach out to law enforcement and mental health professionals for support. Remember that you aren’t alone and, with the proper support, most kids recover.
