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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.