SEXtortion, Suicide, and Teens

Linda Crockett -Ex. Director, Safe Communities

​One victim was a 14-year-old boy from West Virginia. Another victim from Michigan was only 12. Yet another was a 17-year-old girl from Ohio who attempted suicide in a desperate try to escape the situation. In total, the FBI was able to identify 20 young people who were harassed, threatened, and sexually exploited online by an Indiana man who had served as a youth minister in his community.

​Our mission to protect kids from sexual harm is becoming more difficult with the steady rise of sextortion. While all teens are vulnerable, the last two years have shown a dramatic increase, prompting the FBI to issue a rare public safety alert pleading for adults to educate teens to prevent victimization. We join that plea.

Sextortion typically begins when an adult pretending to be a teen befriends a minor via social media like Facebook, or on a gaming platform, like those used with Roblox or Fortnite. A grooming process is initiated, with the adult plying the teen with flattery and intense social connection. 

​It soon escalates to a sexual level, often by the adult sending explicit images of the teen they are pretending to be, and asking for the same in return. Since adolescents are just starting to explore their sexuality, it can be exciting for them to receive a nude photo and exchange one, particularly with a real or perceived romantic partner.

Once the victim does that, the extortion begins. The predator threatens to send the teen’s explicit photos or videos to friends and family unless their demand for payment is met.
 

In 2022, law enforcement received 7,000 reports related to the online financial sextortion of minors, resulting in at least 3,000 victims, primarily boys, and more than a dozen suicides. Those reported to law enforcement are the tip of the iceberg. A large percentage of schemes originate outside of the United States, and its very difficult to track perpetrators. Just ask Brandon Guffey, whose son Gavin killed himself  in a panic when he fell victim to sextortion. 

Gavin sent his younger brother and friends a cryptic message in the predawn hours of July 27, 2022, using a heart shaped symbol of love just before he shot himself. For weeks, his grieving family searched for signs of something they had missed. Then, they found out that a scammer masquerading as a teenaged girl had convinced Gavin to send nude photos of himself. Once he did, they told him he had to pay, or they would publicize them. Emptying his bank account he sent them $25 via Venmo – but it was not enough. He pleaded for more time, begging them not to send the images out. In his teenaged brain, it was a catastrophic threat. His father, Brandon, was running for the State House in South Carolina.

In the weeks after Gavin’s funeral, his younger brother was bombarded with messages from the scammers, demanding money or they would still release Gavin’s photos. They taunted his father with messages telling him Gavin begged for his life.

Nearly one year later, no arrests have been made. The legislature in South Carolina is set to pass “Gavin’s Law.”  Scammers extorting a minor will face up to 5 years in prison. If they can be found, that is.

Given the horrific impact on teens  and their families, 5 years in prison does not seem like justice  to me. I doubt it will serve as a significant deterrent. And it certainly won’t bring back Gavin or the other teens who have taken their own lives rather than have nude images of themselves released.

The best defense:  Talk to the teens in your life about sextortion! 

Be sure they understand what it is, and how easily it can happen.

Remind them that people online can pretend to be whoever they want, and photos and videos are never proof of identity. 

Tell them to be highly selective about sharing any personal information and to never share intimate images online. One a scammer has the first image; they have all the leverage they need to obtain additional ones.

Emphasize that sextortion isn’t a crime that’s exclusively perpetrated by strangers, but also at time by partners/ex-partners.

Assure them that if they do get scammed to come to you right away and they will not be in trouble (and mean that.)  Help them understand they were a victim of crime, and even if they made a mistake in sending a photo, they are not responsible for the extortion. 

Make it clear you are open to discussing – without shame or punishment – any question or concern they have about sexuality.

Kenneth Polite, Jr. the Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, commented: “The protection of children is society’s most sacred duty. It calls on each of us to do everything we can to keep kids from harm."

Please contribute to our #NeverGiveUp campaign to expand our prevention work and protect more children from harm. We agree that preventing sextortion and other sexual abuse is a sacred duty. We hope you do, too.

Linda Crockett
Executive Director

To report suspected sextortion, call the nearest FBI field office or 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324). To make a CyberTipline Report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), visit report.cybertip.org.

For additional information and resources, access the FBI’s Website
https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/safety-resources/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/sextortion