If you think child extortion can’t happen to your kid, detectives say, think again.
Experts say they are seeing an increase in the number of cases of kids getting blackmailed into sharing naked pictures, and those pictures can ruin lives.
Earlier this year, a San Diego man was the first in the country to be convicted of the crime of revenge porn.
Prosecutors say he created a website and posted thousands of nude pictures of women without their permission.
Those pictures had been submitted by ex-husbands and boyfriends.
And just this Feburary in Miami Beach, prosecutors said Antonio Giansante uploaded nude video and pictures of his ex when she was a minor.
Prosecutors say revenge pornography can prevent single women and mothers from keeping their jobs.
Local
But now local police say they are dealing with a new crime that's becoming a big problem -- children sexually extorting other children.
Detective Jeannette Azcuy with Miami-Dade Police’s “Special Victim’s Unit” says she receives one new case a month of a student extorting another student into sending naked pictures.
"Once the extorter gets that picture, now they’ll start demanding more pictures and if the child doesn’t send the pictures they threaten them saying they’re going to place it on Facebook, send it to all their friends," Azcuy said.
The children use social media sites online or text messages to get the photographs.
"I’ve had them as young as six-years-old," Azcuy said.
Detectives say in addition to extortion, they are getting even more cases of kids snapping naked pictures and sending them to other kids they don’t know.
And those pictures end up getting spread throughout the entire school and even on the internet.
"It can go viral in a school in a matter of 20 minutes," said Azcuy. "And we get about four cases a week, it’s a very serious problem."
And something parents need to be aware of, the person receiving the pictures can face child pornography charges, even if they are underage. And, so can the victim taking the pictures, if they’re under 18.
They can also suffer from embarrassment and shame. The victims are mostly women, but detectives say young men fall victim as well, but they are more hesitant to report it.
They are images that can land you in prison and can live on the internet for years to come.
"We are in the age where you have to monitor your kids online activity all the time," Azcuy said.
