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November 30, 2023 - 10:30 AM
The Kelowna RCMP is urging parents and caregivers to have conversations with the young people in their lives about online sextortion following a 12-year-old’s death by suicide in Prince George.
Police determined the boy was the victim of online sextortion.
Criminals try to extort money or sexual favours from someone by threatening to reveal evidence of their online sexual activity, Kelowna RCMP said in a media release issued today, Nov. 30.
Kelowna RCMP have received more than 100 reports of sextortion in 2023.
“Our children are increasingly using various online and texting apps including gaming, where they can communicate with people they may not know. This can potentially segue into a risk of sextortion and we must monitor their online activities," Kelowna RCMP spokesperson Const. Mike Della-Paolera said in the release.
READ MORE: A list of facts about sextortion, a type of blackmail that can turn deadly
Police say instances of this type of extortion increase every year and are most common in youth between 13 and 18 years old.
“The RCMP are encouraging victims of sextortion to reach out for help by reporting them to police. You are a victim and you will not be in trouble for reporting,” Const. Della-Paolera said.
Kelowna RCMP officers have been going around to Grade 12 Law classes in the city to explain the dangers of posting images and communicating with strangers on social media.
Police advise anyone who is a target of an extortion attempt to stop all communication, do not give in to demands, deactivate those social media accounts, reach out for help and report the attempt to police.
For information on how to approach these conversations with kids go to CyberTip.
For further support go to NeedHelpNow.
— With files from The Canadian Press.
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