CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses child sexual abuse.
This week marks a grim milestone in the Australian calendar: National Child Protection Week. Sextortion — a form of online blackmail that frequently targets teenagers — is one of the most insidious scams targeting Australians.
Last year, an Australian teenager killed himself after being targeted by two Nigerian scammers threatening to distribute nude photos to his friends and family. The case was similar to the deaths of other school boys in Canada and the United States, highlighting an insidious scam preying on teens around the world.
So what is the extent of sextortion in Australia? And what can be done to end it entirely?
What is sextortion?
Sextortion is a particularly cruel form of online blackmail, where offenders manipulate teenagers into sending sexual images, only to turn around and threaten to expose them unless their demands are met. Demands can include money, gift cards or more graphic content.
According to RMIT research, sextortion is incredibly common with one in seven adults having experienced sextortion. Researchers found that victimisation was most common in the US, Australia, Mexico and South Korea.
In fact South Korea is currently in a digital sex crime crisis according to human rights watchdogs and there have been consistent reports involving digital sex crimes in Australia in the past few weeks including a former principal who allegedly possessed child exploitation material.
What is the AFP doing about it?
The Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) is an AFP lead initiative bringing together specialists to support investigations specifically looking at online child sexual exploitation.They also have a hand in developing prevention strategies to create a safer environment online for children.
To mark National Child Protection Week, sextortion has actually decreased in 2024, with the ACCCE revealing there were on average just 93 reports per month in the first half of this year, compared to 300 per month in 2023.
It comes as the AFP reveals that since 2022, it’s closed more than 1,800 bank accounts and digital currency accounts linked to offshore criminal gangs extorting Australian teenagers.
“Our intelligence indicates how effective we have been, with organised criminals regularly complaining to each other online about how difficult it is to extract money from young people in Australia,” AFP Commander Helen Schneider said in a statement.
The police say this is thanks to more people being aware of the issue and cops and banks working together to shut down the operations of organised crime groups.
Sextortion is still an underreported crime
Despite these positive steps in reducing sextortion cases, the AFP is still on high alert. “Although the reports have dropped, this is still an under reported crime and the sad reality is that we still receiving almost 100 reports of children in Australia being targeted by criminals every month,” Schneider said.
AUSTRAC’s Acting National Manager, Anthony Helmond, said the situation is “disturbing” and pointed out that the internet has made it easier for criminals to exploit vulnerable groups.
“Access to the internet and the ease of online financial transactions have put vulnerable groups worldwide within easy reach of criminals,” Helmond said.
According to the ESafety Commissioner “Australia [is] at the international forefront in the fight against online harm”, but RMIT found that Australia experiences the second most perpetration in the world. It’s clear that we still have a long way to go when it comes to combatting sextortion cases once and for all.
So where do we go from here?
Schneider urges parents to watch out for warning signs of sextortion, like random friend requests, sudden sexual chats, and if the person your child is chatting to demands to move your conversations around to different apps.
As Australia marks National Child Protection Week, the focus on keeping children safe from online threats remains paramount. The AFP is committed to making the internet a safer place for kids to navigate without the fear of becoming a victim of sextortion.
“The AFP will continue to make Australia a hostile environment for those who seek to exploit our children, during National Child Protection Week and every week,”Schneider said.
Lead image: iStock Images.
Help is available.
- If you require immediate assistance, please call 000.
- If you’d like to speak to someone about sexual violence, please call the 1800 Respect hotline on 1800 737 732 or chat online.
- Under 25? You can reach Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 or chat online.
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