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Defendant Name, Online Predation, Kansas 2020
U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister and FBI Special Agent in Charge Timothy Langan Urge Caution
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – As students spend more time online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister and FBI Special Agent in Charge Timothy Langan are sounding the alarm on the dangers of online sexual exploitation.
McAllister said children often can be too trusting online and befriend people they may not know. Predators take advantage of this and target children, often between the ages of 10 and 17, typically through social media. Children across all demographics and genders can be targeted and exploited.
Online sexual exploitation can come in many forms, including sextortion. Sextortion occurs when a predator entices a victim into providing sexually explicit images or videos – usually by falsely pretending to be a teen – and then threatens to share the images publicly if the victim fails to comply with the predator’s demands for increasingly explicit and degrading images and videos.
McAllister and Langan urge parents to review resources regarding child exploitation and other crimes related to COVID-19 at https://www.fbi.gov/coronavirus. If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact the FBI, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, or your local law enforcement agency and report it.
“In order for such victimization to stop, children typically need adult intervention and assistance,” McAllister said. “They have to come forward to someone they trust – a parent, teacher, friend, or caregiver – who can then cut off the communications and report the situation to us, which will permit law enforcement to go after the predator.”
McAllister and Langan emphasize that federal law enforcement has taken an aggressive approach toward the investigation and prosecution of COVID-19 related crimes, including fraud, price-gouging, and hoarding of essential medical supplies. They stand ready to act just as aggressively against those who might seek to take advantage of this situation to exploit our children.
McAllister said children sometimes can be too trusting online and befriend people they may not know. Predators take advantage of this and target children, often between the ages of 10 and 17, typically through social media. Children across all demographics and genders can be targeted and exploited.
Sexual exploitation, even when there is never any physical contact, causes very real harm and has a lasting impact. Images and videos do not disappear from the Internet, and the long-term effects can be devastating.
Key Facts
- State: Kansas
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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