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Idaho Teens Fall Prey to Online Predators
With the start of the school year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Idaho is sounding the alarm about the growing threat of online predators targeting young people in the state.
The prevalence of smartphones and other electronic devices has led to an increase in criminal activity, with predators seeking to exploit and abuse children through online communication and ‘sextortion’ schemes.
In 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received over 36 million reports related to online sexual exploitation, a 12 percent increase from the previous year.
And the problem is not limited to other states. In the first half of 2024, the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received 2,424 reports of child exploitation.
‘Awareness is critical to preventing these heinous crimes,’ said U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit. ‘We urge parents, educators, and community members to review helpful safety resources available to the public, including those found at NCMEC’s NetSmartz website.’
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is sharing online safety resources with parents, educators, and students, and has released a public service announcement to raise awareness about sextortion, a type of blackmail used by offenders to acquire sexual content from a child.
‘As we begin a new school year full of excitement and promise, I urge parents and educators to help educate our youth on internet safety,’ said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. ‘Sextortion and other crimes lead to devastating effects on our children, causing stress, mental health issues, and even suicide.’
The public service announcement aims to raise awareness about the growing prevalence of sextortion and highlight the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s commitment to working alongside Idaho’s dedicated federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to put an end to this awful crime.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, if you believe your child has been a victim of sextortion, you should:
Preserve the evidence, take screenshots or write down names, usernames, and phone numbers.
Report to law enforcement, contact your local law enforcement agency and/or your local FBI field office and report it online at tips.FBI.gov.
Report the perpetrator on social media, as social media apps have safety features you can use to report misconduct that violates their terms of service.
Please do not comply with the predator’s demands, as complying with or paying the perpetrator rarely stops the harassment or blackmail and may fuel them to continue.
Let NCMEC help get your images down, visit missingkids.org/IsYourExplicitContentOutThere to learn how to notify companies yourself or visit missingkids.org/gethelpnow/cybertipline to report to NCMEC for help with the process.
‘We are here to help,’ said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. ‘If you have concerns, reach out to our office, your local law enforcement agency or contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.’
‘Together we can end the sexual exploitation of teens and kids in Idaho. Please take time to learn how to identify and respond to people who are at risk or who have experienced sextortion.’
Key Facts
- State: Idaho
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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