Parents and guardians of young adults have been warned by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to closely monitor their children due to a concerning online trend where young victims are being coerced into producing extreme sexual and violent content.
In a statement issued on Sept. 6, AFP said sadistic sextortion is a rising online crime targeting children as young as twelve years old on social media and messaging platforms. These groups “coerce them to self-produce explicit material to gain acceptance into extreme online communities.”
The warning comes two days after the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) released data that revealed 560 reports of sextortion in the first six months of 2024.
This equates to an average of 93 reports per month, down from 300 reports a month in the 2023 calendar year.
Helen Schneider, AFP Commander of Human Exploitation and the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) emphasised the importance of open communication. If parents suspect their child is engaging in harmful activity online, she advises them to have a conversation to understand the situation and provide appropriate support.
“Warning signs of children may be engaging in harmful activity online include increased screen-time on computers or phones, isolating themselves from friends and family or being secretive about who they are interacting with online,” she said.
“Whether a child is or has been a victim of sextortion online, please reassure them it’s not their fault and report it to the ACCCE.”
In its advisory, the AFP has suggested following these steps to prevent further damage: Stop the chat, take screenshots of the text and profile, block the account, and report it to the platform.
Additionally, seek support from trusted friends, family members, or professional support services, and consider seeking mental health support if needed, such as from Kids Helpline, which offers free and confidential counselling sessions.
It is crucial to report the crime to the ACCCE.
The advisory also cautions against sending more images or making payments, as this will likely lead to further demands. Victims are advised not to respond to demands, avoid engaging in further communication with offenders, and remember that they are not alone.
If there is any concern for safety, individuals should dial Triple Zero (000) or contact their local police station.
The AFP said that many offenders operate under various names and aliases on social media or messaging platforms, forming global networks.
“To gain access to a majority of these groups, prospective members are coerced by group members to produce or live-stream explicit content online,” the AFP said.
Sometimes, the offenders may be as young as their targeted victims, initially forming online relationships before encouraging them to produce explicit images or videos.
“The offender will then share the content with other members in the online group, who will attempt to extort the victim by threatening to share the material with their family or friends, unless the victim produces more videos and extreme content,” it added.
