Sask. Internet Child Exploitation unit seeing increase in extortion for intimate images
Sask. Internet Child Exploitation unit seeing increase in extortion for intimate images
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.
Mounties on Vancouver Island have publicly identified the two gunmen killed during a shootout with police at a bank in Saanich on Tuesday as 22-year-old twin brothers Mathew and Isaac Auchterlonie.
CTVNews.ca asked Canadians to share their travel horror stories as cancelled flights, delays and lost luggage throw a wrench in Canadians' summer travel plans, due in part to staffing shortages at Canadian airports. Some report sleeping at airports and others say it took days to get to or from a destination.
The Canada Day long weekend saw gas prices plummet in parts of the country, but the relief at the pumps may not stay for very long, analysts say. The decreases come after crude oil prices slid in June following the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes, sparking fears of a recession.
A law outlawing any dealings with the Taliban, which charities complain is impeding their ability to help needy Afghans, could be adjusted by the federal government to give more flexibility to aid agencies.
U.S. President Joe Biden intends to nominate an anti-abortion Republican lawyer to a federal judgeship, two Kentucky Democrats informed of the decision say.
Russian forces pounded the city of Lysychansk and its surroundings in an all-out attempt to seize the last stronghold of resistance in eastern Ukraine's Luhansk province, the governor said Saturday.
A California man has posted a widely-shared video in an attempt to educate people about the monkeypox virus outbreak, to encourage people to get vaccinated if they're eligible and to make it very clear: 'You do not want this.'
An Ontario high school teacher plans to continue with an alternative method of grading her students after an experiment last semester in which students proposed a grade and had to justify it with examples of their work.
A tripartite settlement agreement was signed between the government of Saskatchewan, the federal government and the Zagimē Anishinabēk First Nation on Thursday, allowing the First Nation to acquire over 180,000 acres of land.
CTVNews.ca asked Canadians to share their travel horror stories as cancelled flights, delays and lost luggage throw a wrench in Canadians' summer travel plans, due in part to staffing shortages at Canadian airports. Some report sleeping at airports and others say it took days to get to or from a destination.
The Canada Day long weekend saw gas prices plummet in parts of the country, but the relief at the pumps may not stay for very long, analysts say. The decreases come after crude oil prices slid in June following the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes, sparking fears of a recession.
Mounties on Vancouver Island have publicly identified the two gunmen killed during a shootout with police at a bank in Saanich on Tuesday as 22-year-old twin brothers Mathew and Isaac Auchterlonie.
Mounties on Vancouver Island have publicly identified the two gunmen killed during a shootout with police at a bank in Saanich on Tuesday as 22-year-old twin brothers Mathew and Isaac Auchterlonie.
Ontario is not yet allowing most adults under the age of 60 to get a fourth COVID-19 vaccine shot, prompting one doctor to prepare legal action to get the province to widen eligibility.
Ottawa police say residents and visitors will continue to see an enhanced police presence in downtown Ottawa today, as the cleanup begins from Canada's 155th birthday party.
Parties and protests mark Canada Day in Ottawa, a mother and daughter killed in a south end home and a new entrant in the race for mayor. CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at the top five stories on our website this week.
Twin brothers in their early 20s were responsible for the shooting that injured numerous police officers at a bank in Saanich, B.C., earlier this week, RCMP alleged Saturday.
A UBC researcher will soon embark on the trip of a lifetime, circling the globe over the course of several months to further her understanding of a creature that has captivated her for years: jellyfish.
The number of Quebec households without a roof over their heads after July 1 moving day is currently 600. That number "could continue to rise in the coming days," warned Véronique Laflamme, spokesperson for the Quebec housing advocacy group - FRAPRU, at a news conference in Montreal on Saturday.
A prominent housing advocacy group fears Quebec could see an increase in households left without a permanent place to live as leases expire across the province on July 1.
Mounties on Vancouver Island have publicly identified the two gunmen killed during a shootout with police at a bank in Saanich on Tuesday as 22-year-old twin brothers Mathew and Isaac Auchterlonie.
A 50-year-old New Brunswick woman is facing an impaired driving charge following a head-on collision with a fully marked RCMP vehicle in the village of Tracadie.
A unique scavenger hunt in Sudbury aims to get people out exploring nature and enjoying the outdoors. The event includes an educational element about Indigenous traditions and teachings, in particular the Seven Grandfather Teachings.
A Toronto man is getting set to become the first disabled athlete to cross Lake Superior on a paddleboard. Mike Shoreman, who made a stop in Sault Ste. Marie Friday, has already crossed Lake Erie, and most recently crossed Lake Huron. He is raising money for youth mental wellness.
Heavy smoke and loud explosions woke up a number of residents in a high-rise apartment Saturday morning on Capulet Lane in London, Ont. when a fire broke out in the parking garage next to their building.
Ontario is not yet allowing most adults under the age of 60 to get a fourth COVID-19 vaccine shot, prompting one doctor to prepare legal action to get the province to widen eligibility.
