The headline reads, ‘Sextortion’ A crime against Children. Pretending to be teens, on-line predators are luring teens to become “friends” and then they entice them….sometimes with promises of cell phones or clothes…..to send lewd photos of themselves. Once this cycle begins there is the demand for “more or else.” The victims….usually girls….are told that if they don’t do more provocative things including sexual acts that they will face dire consequences. To insure compliance, the predators threaten to post the photos they already have on social media or they threaten to harm the teen or their families. Faced with threats of terrifying extortion, the teens are scared to tell anyone about what is happening to them. Homeland Security says that the issue is extremely prevalent and they have started a program called iGuardian in which agents visit schools to talk about the issue. The agents are urging parents and other adults to talk candidly with teens about the problem and to make it safe for their teen to talk with them about the issue. For more information about this crime, see the July 5 issue of USA Today.
Protect your children from online “Sextortion”
About the Author: Wanda Meade
As founder and creator of Finding Voice, Wanda has found a wonderful opportunity to combine her education and experience as a counselor, trainer, and teacher with her love of photography. This project has become her passion and she hopes to raise the collective consciousness about sexual abuse and to call communities to action for prevention.
Wanda and her husband, Rex, reside in Upstate South Carolina – a place they have called home since 1972.