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Online Child Exploitation, Minnesota 2020
According to a warning issued by U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald, the COVID-19 pandemic has created a target-rich environment for child predators in Minnesota, as children of all ages have access to and are using electronic devices at an unprecedented rate.
The sexual exploitation and abuse of a child is a despicable crime affecting some of the most vulnerable members of our community. No child should ever have to suffer the pain of such vile acts. Regrettably, the ever-growing use of technology has provided child predators with more tools and opportunities than ever to perpetrate their insidious crimes.
The online sexual exploitation of children is a massive problem. During March 2020, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 2,027,520 reports of online child sexual exploitation, a 106 percent increase over March 2019. This is not just a national problem. It is a problem right here in Minnesota. In 2019, my office received a 43 percent increase in the number of online child exploitation case referrals over 2018. Thus far, our 2020 numbers remain equally and disturbingly high.
There is no specific profile for victims; rather, children across all demographics can be targeted. The only commonality is youth, as the average age of a victim is only fifteen years old. This type of crime causes very real harm and has a lasting impact, especially on young victims. Images and videos do not easily disappear from the Internet and the long-term effects on victims and their families can be devastating.
Child predators seek to take advantage of the trusting nature of young people and to prey on their youth and the vulnerability that comes with growing up. They set up fake profiles on social media apps, gaming sites, and other social networking tools. They then cultivate an online relationship with their victims, building trust to solicit the sexually explicit images. This can happen quickly. In one case, it took only thirty minutes from the time the predator met the child on Facebook messenger to when the minor victim was producing sexually explicit images and videos for the perpetrator to exploit.
U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald is urging parents and guardians to be vigilant regarding their children’s online social interaction. The threat from online child predators is both real and unobtrusive but can be mitigated by teaching our children how to use the internet safely and responsibly and by monitoring their use as appropriate for their age. Preventing children from becoming victims is an important priority for federal law enforcement officials in Minnesota.
MacDonald’s office has a team of prosecutors who are specially trained to investigate and prosecute online child exploitation cases and work with law enforcement not only to solve these crimes but to provide education and training to prevent the crimes from occurring.
Key Facts
- State: Minnesota
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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