Sask. Internet Child Exploitation unit seeing increase in extortion for intimate images

The Saskatchewan Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit is warning parents of an increase in scams involving extortion to leverage intimate images or money from young victims.

“We just want to get the word out and for parents and families to educate (youth) on it so they won’t do it,” Saskatchewan ICE unit provincial coordinator Staff Sgt. Shawn Stubbs said. 

Sask. ICE had seven reports of youth extortion crimes in 2021. This year, 12 complaints were filed in the first four months of the year.

“There’s probably another 15 or so that we suspect are extortion files,” Stubbs said. 

He says criminals will approach children on various social media sites and gaming apps and pose as a child of similar age.

The person posing as a child will communicate with the youth and begin to send intimate images and or videos of who they say is themselves.

That person will then ask the child to send them intimate images of themselves. Once the photos or videos are sent, the person will then demand money from them and threaten to send their images to friends, family and social media contacts if they don’t comply.

Stubbs says other child exploitation agencies in Canada are also reporting an increase in extortion cases.

“It’s hard for kids to talk to their parents when something like that has happened because of shame, guilt, embarrassment about what they have shown or shared online,” said sexual assault counsellor Shellina Nowakowski.

She works at the Prince Albert Sexual Assault Centre and says parents should remain calm if their child comes forward to tell them about online extortion or luring.

Stubbs says parents should talk to their children about these type of scams, supervise their children’s online activity and know their passwords to help monitor their devices.

“Parents should be aware of the social media platforms their kids are using, whether it’s YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat. Who they are talking to should be monitored,” Nowakowski said.

She says children who have been victims of online predators often suffer trauma and should seek help.

ICE is currently investigating the extortion complaints but no charges have been laid in 2022.

“If the accused is in Saskatchewan, we can easily track it down to an area, and track it down to their IP address,” Stubbs said.

If the suspect is in another country, ICE sends requests to police agencies in that jurisdiction but it becomes more difficult to investigate and prosecute depending on the country, he says.

Stubbs says taking intimate photos of anyone under 18 years of age is child pornography and is illegal to make or share those images even if it’s between two consenting teenagers known to each other.

Sask. ICE says if members of the public have concerns about something they or their children find online, they should contact their local police service.