Sex racketeering cases are on the rise across the country, affecting teenagers and young adults

Cases of sexual extortion, the act of threatening to share nude or sexually explicit images of someone, are on the rise nationwide, with law enforcement reporting an increase in incidents targeting teens and young adults through social media and messaging apps.

Between October 2021 and March 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security received more than 13,000 pieces of information reports Financial extortion cases targeting children, involving at least 12,600 victims, 20 suicides, and a 20 percent increase in cases from October 2022 to March 2023 compared to the previous year.

However, people of all ages can become victims.

Johnson County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Kristen Silver said sexual extortion incidents reported in Johnson County tend to be carried out by unknown strangers through conversations initiated on social media or messaging apps.

“The unknown person they are messaging with persuades them to send nude photos of themselves and then blackmails them into sending more money or photos to prevent those photos from being distributed to family, friends or social media,” Silver said.

Silver also noted that this crime likely occurs more often than reported.

“It likely occurs more often than reported because victims face barriers such as shame, fear of getting in trouble, or feelings of guilt,” Silver said.

University of Iowa Campus Safety Public Information Officer Hayley Bruce said the Department of Education has classified sextortion as a stalking crime as of 2023.

“This continues to have an impact on our data,” Bruce said.

In 2022, Campus Security reported a total of 100 stalking cases, eight of which were attributed to sextortion. In 2023, there were a total of 113 stalking incidents, six of which were sexual blackmail.

On the UI campus, Bruce said this crime often begins when a student thinks they are talking to someone their own age who is interested in a relationship; The criminal establishes trust, persuades them to share photos or videos, and then threatens to disclose this content to their friends.

Silver said the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office recommends that individuals avoid sending money or any electronic payments to these individuals, as this rarely stops the threats and often leads to more demands.

Instead, they recommend cutting off communication, blocking the online profile, and reporting threats to the platform where they started and to law enforcement.

Bruce added that Campus Safety encourages people to collect evidence such as screenshots, the offender’s username and platform, and other details, in addition to stopping contact.

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“The most important thing with these types of crimes is that they actually report what’s going on,” Bruce said. “We realize it might be a little embarrassing to talk about, but we really want students to report it so we can help them stop it.”

Bruce also encouraged students who are victims of sexual blackmail to prioritize their mental health and take advantage of support resources.

For campus resources that support victims, the UI’s former Rape Victim Advocacy Program, also known as RVAP, announced last April that it would close as services transitioned to the Iowa City nonprofit Domestic Violence Intervention Program, also known as DVIP. DVIP officially took over on 1 October.

DVIP community engagement director Alta Medea said the organization provides various types of support to victims of sexual blackmail.

“Every case is different. What an individual needs varies,” Medea said. “Obviously this is very personal.”

In cases where the victim decides to report the incident to law enforcement, Medea said DVIP provides support by accompanying victims to meetings with officers, attorneys and the district attorney’s office, helping them piece together their experiences and guiding them through the legal process. emerges.

Medea underlined that in addition to the perpetrator being a stranger to the victim, sexual blackmail can also occur in the context of violence caused by an intimate partner.

“The pressure element is pretty great,” Medea said, also noting that the offender may use an intense display of affection and attention, known as love bombing, to manipulate the victim.

Medea encouraged victims of sexual blackmail to reach the DVIP hotline at 800-373-1043. She also noted that DVIP is open Mondays and Thursdays from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Women’s Resources and Action Center on campus.

“Absolutely getting expert help and navigating your paths to safety and your process is really vital to taking the next steps,” Medea said.