Victoria Police data shows sextortion on the rise

The Victoria Police Department (VicPD) are out with a warning as new statistics show a rise in online sextortion crime targeting male teenagers.

Sextortion is a crime where individuals target others online, this includes social media outlets such as Instagram and Snapchat.

Perpetrators will often pose as a teen girl or young woman who claim to be interested in the male, and then ask for revealing photos.

Those photos will then be used to threaten the male, saying they will be shared with others if demands are not met.

VicPD spokesperson Bowen Osoko says this type of extortion case has been on the rise year after year.

“Back in 2019, we had five extortion files. We had more than 37 of these last year. That’s a significant increase. I know that may not sound like a lot but these are crimes of sexual violence. It’s the overwhelming proportion two thirds of the files that we had, again targeted young men and teen boys. that’s brand new to us. that’s brand new to 2022,” Osoko explained.

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Osoko adds sextortion isn’t strictly a sexual-based crime.

“Main driving factor is not a sexual based crime, but instead it’s a financial crime, which is why the cash payment is so key because as soon as these folks hear someone that they’ve been victimizing, they’ll pay money, the demands often get more severe, and the intensity actually increases,” he said.

According to VicPD, two thirds of the sextortion investigations from last year involved teen boys or younger men.

The Canadian Centre for Child Protection’s data echoes the extent of the issue, showing 92 per cent of sextortion cases from last year involved teen boys or young men.

Osoko encourages those affected by sextortion or a similar crime to reach out to police, a parent, or a support group for help.