Members of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection demonstrate how predators use Skype to target teens.

Members of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection demonstrate how predators use Skype to target teens.
Photo Credit: CBC

Group warns of spike in teenage ‘sextortion’

Increasingly, Canadian teens are being coerced into taking off their clothes or performing sexual acts online, warns the Canadian Centre for Child Protection. The acts are recorded and then used to extort money or additional sexual content from the adolescent.

In the last decade, Cybertip.ca has received more than 160,000 tips leading to about 500 arrests.
In the last decade, Cybertip.ca has received more than 160,000 tips leading to about 500 arrests. © CBC

Forty per cent spike in ‘sextortion’

The centre says it has seen a 40 per cent spike in so-called “sextortion” in the last six months. It believes many of the cases are committed by west African gangs.

Teens have unsupervised access

Typically, Canadian teens have unsupervised, broad access to the internet through home computers, laptops and smartphones.

Predators troll chat room, social media

Trouble happens when teens meet a predator in online game chat rooms or social media sites like Facebook. Thinking they are engaging with someone their own age, they agree to a private chat over Skype. They are then manipulated into removing clothing or performing a sex act, unaware they are recorded.

Warning for parents

The Canadian Centre for Child Protection has launched warnings to parents asking them to speak to their children about the problem. It offers guidelines and urges parents to report any concerns to its tip line called Cybertip.ca.

The tip line has received more than 160,000 reports of online sexual exploitation of children since 2005. They have led to about 500 arrests.

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