The FBI Atlanta office is warning parents about a 700% increase in reported cases of sexploitation of minors from October 2021 to March 2023.
Dr. Alex Del Carmen, Associate Dean, Professor and Fulbright Specialist, School of Criminology, Criminal Justice and Public Administration, College of Liberal and Fine Arts, Tarleton State University in Fort Worth, tells KTRH News the victims of sexploitation are most often boys between the ages of 7 and 13, an age group that tends to engage in risky behavior and willfully sends compromising nude photos.
The boys are coerced into sending naked photos and are then blackmailed by threats of making the images public.
According to the FBI warning, more than 13,000 reports of financial sextortion of minors involving 12,600 victims were reported to the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations from October 2021 to March 2023.