Canada's national tipline for reporting the online sexual exploitation of children received an average of six sextortion reports per day in 2024.
Typically, boys are extorted for money while girls are extorted for more images. It's reported that 83% of sextortion victims have been male. Another report says 63% of sextortion incidents happened on Instagram or Snapchat.
What is sextortion? It's blackmail. It's when someone online threatens to send a sexual image or video of you to other people if you don't pay them or provide more sexual content.
Youth are often tricked into believing they are talking to another youth. While sextortion can affect anyone, S/Sgt Scott Linklater with the Dauphin RCMP, says they are seeing it's affecting more male youth between the ages of 14 and 24.
Linklater confirms there have been cases as of late in the Parkland region.
"Any incident is very traumatic to a victim. We want to get the information out there and advise everyone to be aware of what can happen online," said Linklater. "Not everyone you meet online is who they say they are. Whatever you share online may not stay private."
Sextorters often offer a gift or money to a youth who sends sexual content. They can threaten to share videos or images with a school or many schools.
If you believe someone is trying to take advantage of you, Linklater says in many cases, they could be.
"Just trust your instincts. If there's something a little bit off about their profile, or pressuring you to share intimate images or videos, be wary of that," ended Linklater.
If someone is threatening to share your nude image or video, immediately stop talking to them.
Screenshot all of the messages you have with the sextorter and share the information with your parents or police.
Delete and block the sextorter and reach out for help and support.
Linklater recommends that parents speak with their children about the dangers of being online.
If you have or are a current victim of sextortion, report it.
Additionally, contact your local RCMP detachment. You can also visit Help Now.
