CEOP : Parent/Guardian Information

Dear parent/guardian,

All schools in the UK have recently been sent information from the National
Crime Agency, raising awareness of the recent rise in reporting of financially
motivated sexual extortion (a type of online blackmail often known in the
media as ‘sextortion’). Children and young people worldwide are being
targeted.

This type of crime involves an adult offender (often from an organised crime
group based overseas) threatening to release nude or semi-nude images
and/or videos of a child or young person, unless they pay money, or meet
another financial demand, such as purchasing a pre-paid gift card.
Victims of any age and gender can be targets, however a large proportion of
cases have involved male victims aged 14-18.

A child or young person is never to blame if they have been a victim. Offenders
will have tricked, groomed and/or manipulated them into sharing an image.
Find out more about online blackmail on CEOP Education’s parents and carers
website.