What it is and what parents can do to help prevent and stop it

Not long ago, making prank calls was the worst trouble a group of teens could get into with a telephone.

But today, predators use phones to stalk and blackmail teens on social media and dating apps. Sextortion — the act of threatening to share nude or explicit images — is more common than you may think, and cases affecting young children, teens and adults have increased exponentially in the past two years. In fact, Homeland Security Investigations received over 3,000 sextortion tips in fiscal year 2022.

One current sextortion trend targets boys between 14 and 17 years old. Adult predators pretending to be young girls feign romantic interest in the boys on gaming platforms, apps and social media sites.

It starts simply enough: A teen responds to an online request to expose parts of their body on a webcam or send a nude photo to a new online “friend.” The next thing the teen knows, their new friend threatens to expose them by publicizing the photos — unless they pose for more explicit photos or send money.

In some schemes, adult predators deceive and manipulate young males into engaging in explicit activity over video, which the predator secretly records. The predator then reveals that they’ve made the recording and threatens to post clips online if the victim doesn’t pay up.

This terrifying and dehumanizing violation feeds on victims’ shame. The emotional results for victims — especially kids — is devastating. Feeling embarrassed, hopeless and isolated, many of these teens have nowhere to turn. Some even go so far as to take their own lives without knowing that help is available.

Traditional sextortion versus financial sextortion

Traditional sextortion occurs when a victim is threatened or blackmailed into providing more sexual imagery; the predator threatens to share their nude or sexual images with the public. Financial sextortion occurs when a predator demands money or gift cards in exchange for keeping their sexual images private.

In a recent analysis by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, or NCMEC, financial sextortion is on the rise. Currently, as many as 79% of predators seek money rather than additional sexual imagery. NCMEC is one of HSI’s most valued partners in the fight against sextortion. HSI also collaborates with other law enforcement partners to bring sextortionists to justice.

Sextortion’s red flags

The skilled, ruthless individuals carrying out this crime have honed their techniques and approaches to maximize their chances of success. The following are some common tactics these predators use to entice victims:

• Developing a false rapport with the victim
• Secretly recording explicit videos and messages during chats
• Using multiple identities to contact the child
• Pretending to be younger or a member of the opposite sex
• Hacking accounts to steal sexual images
• Threatening to commit suicide if the victim refuses to send images
• Visiting public social media profiles to find out more about the victim, including accessing the victim’s friend list and searching for other personal information that may harm their victim’s reputation

What sextortion looks like

In their initial contact with a young person, predators often send friend requests and approach teens with compliments or flattery; they may also promise a romantic relationship. They start what appear to be genuine conversations to strike up close friendships with their victims. Sometimes these criminals offer children something they value, such as the possibility of a modeling contract; online game credits or codes; or money, cryptocurrency and gift cards in exchange for a “quick picture.” Some even hack into computers to unearth sensitive material.

These predators then threaten to expose the material if the victim refuses to comply with their demands. They may also threaten victims by falsely claiming that they already have explicit photos that they intend to distribute, or they may threaten to harm the victim, other people, or things the victim cares about.

These criminals commonly make first contact with a victim on one platform, then ask them to move to a second or third platform that uses encrypted messaging to make tracking their crimes more difficult.

Sextortionists record and preserve entire chats and videos. They may also visit public social media profiles to find out more about their victims, combing through friend lists and gleaning other personal information that may harm their target’s reputation.

How you can help sextortion victims

https://youtube.com/watch?v=RoilZ7AHb1U%3Fflag%3D1%26enablejsapi%3D1%26origin%3Dhttps%3A

If you or someone you care about is a sextortion victim, you can help HSI stop the harassment and arrest the criminal while getting the support you need, including removing explicit online images by doing the following:

• Reporting sextortion, before it happens to someone else. One sextortion CyberTip helped HSI identify and help 30 victims. If someone threatens to share explicit images of you, they’re likely also threatening friends or others you know.
• Saving all conversations, chats or messages between the predator and the victim.
• Refusing to pay or send more images, which actually makes things worse.

HSI’s special agents work tirelessly around the world with a victim-centered approach to protect children from exploitation. In fiscal year 2021, HSI arrested 3,776 individuals for perpetrating crimes against children and rescued or identified 1,177 child victims of sexual exploitation and abuse.

Where to get help

https://youtube.com/watch?v=jDqh0LxRzmQ%3Fflag%3D1%26enablejsapi%3D1%26origin%3Dhttps%3A

Don’t Share – Help is Here | National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Sextortion

Sextortion is illegal. If you or someone you know is a victim, help is available.

NCMEC is the nation’s largest and most influential child protection organization leading the fight to protect children. It maintains a multitude of resources for kids and the people who keep them safe.

NCMEC’s CyberTipline (CyberTipline.org) gives the public and electronic service providers the ability to report suspected child sexual exploitation, including sextortion and online enticement. After NCMEC completes its review of a tip it receives, it compiles a report that becomes available to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.

For families with a missing or sexually exploited child, NCMEC provides support services such as crisis intervention and local counseling referrals. Its Team HOPE program connects families with peers who have had similar experiences and can offer compassion and teach coping skills.

NCMEC’s digital citizenship and safety program, NetSmartz, is an innovative educational program that utilizes games, animated videos, classroom-based lesson plans, activities and much more to empower children to make safer choices online. This program addresses the issue of sextortion in age-appropriate ways while providing educators, school resources officers, counselors and others who work with children with videos, discussion guides and display posters.

Unmasking Pedophiles and Their Manipulative Strategies

Sexual crimes against children remain an ongoing threat. Predators always find ways to lure their victims. What are the warning signs?

written at

26 March 2025

4 Minutes to read

What Is a Pedophile?

Protecting Our Children

What Is a Pedophile?

In discussions about child sexual abuse, the terms pedophilia and child grooming often appear. While closely related, they have distinct meanings. 

Pedophilia is a psychiatric disorder in which an individual has a persistent sexual attraction toward children who have not yet reached puberty or the legal age of consent. Child grooming is a manipulative strategy used by perpetrators to gain a child’s trust, exert control, and eventually commit sexual abuse.

According to Setia Asyanti, S.Psi., M.Si., Psikolog., a psychology lecturer at Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS), pedophiles have a strong sexual attraction toward children, which often leads them to act on their urges by engaging in sexual relations with their victims.

“A pedophile is someone who commits pedophilia. If they are already a pedophile, it means they have acted on it,” Asyanti stated in her office on Tuesday (25/3/2025).

A few weeks ago, the case of AKBP Fajar Widyadharma made headlines when he was named a suspect in a child sexual abuse case. The former Ngada Police Chief from East Nusa Tenggara was proven to have molested three underage victims, aged 6, 13, and 16 years old.

“The offender recorded and distributed videos of sexual abuse involving minors,” said Brigadier General Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko, Head of the Public Information Bureau of the National Police’s Public Relations Division, as quoted by Tempo on Tuesday (25/3/2025).

This case highlights how pedophilia and child grooming operate in real-life scenarios. Child grooming typically follows a structured pattern.

First, the perpetrators seek out children with certain vulnerabilities, such as lack of parental attention, unfulfilled emotional needs, low self-esteem, or financial difficulties.

Then the perpetrator gradually befriends the child and those around them. During this stage, they gather personal information that can be exploited. Often, victims do not even realize they are being manipulated.

Once the perpetrator has gathered enough information, they work to meet the victim’s needs, making the child increasingly dependent on them. This can involve offering gifts, providing emotional support, or becoming a trusted confidant.

The predator begins to isolate the child through manipulation, threats, or false promises. The victim is gradually distanced from family, friends, and other trusted individuals. At this stage, the child becomes psychologically and emotionally dependent on the perpetrator, making it difficult to seek help.

Once the child is under complete control, the perpetrator initiates sexual abuse. In some cases, threats or coercion are used to ensure the victim complies. 

In others, the predator manipulates the child into believing they “owe” them something or uses subtle tactics to make the abuse feel “normal” or even “comfortable.”

“The signs of child grooming are often hard to recognize. Children are innocent; they don’t always realize they’re being victimized. Perpetrators approach them in ways that seem caring and affectionate,” said Asyanti in her office on Tuesday (25/3/2025).

According to GoodStats data, the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection recorded 7,623 cases of child sexual abuse in 2024. The previous year, the number was even higher, reaching 8,838 cases.

“Even in the past two years, the number of cases has remained high,” she said grimly.

Asyanti, who also serves as a psychologist from UMS’ Office of Psychological Consultation and Examination, explained that child sexual abuse in Indonesia continues to persist due to several factors:

• Lack of awareness about pedophilia threats. Many parents and teachers do not understand child grooming, making it difficult to recognize warning signs.
• Normalization of unequal relationships in society make large age gaps in relationships are often considered acceptable, allowing exploitative dynamics to go unnoticed.

A few years ago, Asyanti and UMS Psychology Professional students handled a child molestation case through the PKPP (Psychology Profession Work Practice) program. They conducted direct intervention in a densely populated area in Solo.

“If I’m not mistaken, there were about 6-7 victims. After further investigation, it turned out that the pedophile was once a victim themselves. Because they had no one to help them process their childhood trauma, they ended up repeating the cycle with the next generation,” she revealed.

From her observations, most pedophiles admitted that, as children, they had no understanding that what happened to them was sexual abuse. Due to manipulation, they grew up believing their experiences were normal.

“If they’ve experienced it since childhood and no one ever told them it was wrong, they won’t know what healthy boundaries are,” Asyanti continued.

Many perpetrators who were once victims themselves struggle to build healthy relationships with peers. They find it hard to trust others and form connections with fellow adults. “In the end, they seek out those who are easier to control and less complicated, children,” she explained.

Protecting Our Children

Indonesia must promote early sex education. Children need to learn about bodily autonomy, who is allowed to touch them, and how to recognize the signs of a pedophile. The public also needs proper education on this matter.

“Don’t always assume that everyone who is kind to children has pure intentions. We must stay vigilant. Many cases happen in schools, even though teachers are always in contact with parents,” she pointed out.

For Asyanti, who has long worked in forensic psychology, there is no excuse for the state to be lenient on crimes that steal children’s futures. Perpetrators must face severe, uncompromising punishment. “After serving their sentence, pedophiles also need intervention so they develop guilt and empathy for their victims. That way, they can gradually recover,” she added.

The final step in combating child sexual abuse is helping victims heal. The scars left by predators don’t just ruin childhoods, they haunt victims into adulthood. Without proper treatment, childhood trauma can turn into fear, anxiety, or even push victims into repeating the cycle as perpetrators themselves.