Over the past year, the FBI has been investigating over 3,000 cases of sextortion involving young boys. As the winter holidays approach, the agency is warning parents about the dangers of letting their kids get exposed to this type of exploitation.
In response to the increasing number of reports of child sexual exploitation, the FBI, along with other agencies, released a safety alert on Monday.
Over the past year, the number of reports of online sexual exploitation has increased significantly. This type of abuse has reportedly contributed to the suicides of over a dozen minors.
Most of the sextortion cases that the FBI has been investigating are reportedly carried out in other countries, such as West Africa.
In response to the growing number of reports of child sexual exploitation, Christopher Wray, the FBI's director, stated that many victims are not included in the statistics.
"In addition to supporting victims, the FBI also needs the help of parents and caregivers to prevent this crime from happening. As a way to reassure the victims, the agency noted that it is up to everyone to help them feel less alone."
According to Kenneth Polite Jr., an assistant attorney general in the Justice Department's Criminal Division, society has a sacred duty to protect children. This includes looking for the signs of exploitation, such as fake accounts and not trying to access private information.
Exploitors can use a variety of methods to get their victims to make explicit videos or photos. They usually threaten to release them if they are not sent money or gift cards. The victims feel embarrassed and scared, which often prevents them from reporting their abuse.
According to Michelle DeLaune, the CEO of the NCMEC, sexploitation has become a growing crisis that the organization has seen devastating effects on the families of victims.
"During this time, DeLaune urged parents to talk to their children about what they should do if they are being exploited online. The organization also noted that there is help out there."
The safety alert, which can be viewed through the FBI's website fbi.gov/sextortion which provides parents with a variety of resources and tips.
The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on Washington Examiner.
