The digital playground is not safe, and our kids need to understand the very real dangers targeting their wellbeing and futures. Sextortion predators are very convincing; they use real, and fake, profiles to build relationships with kids online and then they convince them to send an intimate photo, which they use to exploit kids for money or even more photos. This is the reality young people are navigating when they go online.

  • 13-year-old Timothy Barnett used Snapchat, a social media app that allows users to send pictures that disappear. Timothy received a message from someone he thought was a young female. The two engaged in conversation which later led to the exchange of explicit photos. That person ended up being a man who was extorting Timothy for money to not turn over those pictures to Timothy’s friends and family, threatened to ‘ruin him and embarrass him’. After receiving numerous threats, Timothy took his own life.
  • James Woods, a 17-year-old college-bound track star, had just gotten his driver’s license and posed for his senior yearbook photo when an online predator targeted him on Instagram. James received 200 messages in less than 20 hours. It ranged anywhere from ‘I own you,’ to ‘you need to take your own life’ – James died by suicide.
  • 16-year old Evan Boettler shot and killed himself in January and at the time, no one knew why. The teen had no chronic, mental health issues and his suicide was a mystery. Investigators reviewed the teen’s electronic devices and they say an hour before his death an online predator tried to force Evan to pay them money or certain photos of him would be sent to his family, friends, and community.
  • 17-year-old Harry Burke died by suicide just hours after he started a conversation with a new contact on Snapchat, who posed as a girl and tempted him into sharing intimate images. Once those pictures were sent, the contact threatened to ruin his career and destroy his life if he didn’t send money.

From October 2021 to March 2023, the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations received over 13,000 reports of online financial sextortion of minors. The sextortion involved at least 12,600 victims—primarily boys—and led to at least 20 suicides.

The FBI has interviewed victims as young as 8, and the crime affects children of both genders and crosses all ethnic and socioeconomic groups. The victims are honor-roll students, the children of teachers, student athletes, etc. The only common trait among victims is internet access.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children advises parents and children to seek assistance before deciding whether to pay the extortioners.  They recommend that you block the suspect but DO NOT DELETE your profile or messages because that can be helpful in stopping the blackmailer.

Teachers and parents need to remind children that they can speak up if they make a mistake. Kids need to know that we don’t want them sending these images. But if/when they do, our young people need to understand that they have not ruined their lives. They need to feel your support and know that they are going to be ok – no matter what happens.

Conversation Starters for Kids

  1. Have you heard of stories like this from your peers?
  2. How do you think someone your age would feel if a criminal blackmailed them like this?
  3. What would you tell a friend to PREVENT them from having this happen to them?
  4. How would you help a friend if you found out that they were experiencing sextortion?
  5. If a friend was feeling desperate and demonstrating that they might cause harms to themselves, what would you do?
  6. Besides a parent, who are other adults that you would feel safe reaching out to for help?

Learn More

Savvy Cyber Kids educates and empowers digital citizens, from parents and grandparents, to teachers and students. Sign up for our free resources to help you navigate today’s digital world with cyber ethics. See more cyber safety and cyber ethics blogs produced exclusively for EarthLink. Looking for a social media parental control? Try a 30-day free trial of Bark. If you sign up after your trial, Bark donates 25% of your monthly fee to Savvy Cyber Kids.

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