Online Enticement/Exploitation involves an individual communicating with someone via the internet with the intent to commit a sexual offense, coercion to self-harm and/or abduction.
This is a broad category of online exploitation and includes sextortion, in which a child is being groomed to take sexually explicit images and/or ultimately meet face-to-face with someone for sexual purposes, or to engage in a sexual conversation online or, in some instances, to sell/trade the child’s sexual images. This type of victimization takes place across every platform; social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, etc.
most often with the possibility of sharing with the public a nude or sexual images of them,by a person who demands additional sexual content, sexual activity or money from the child.
This crime may happen when a child has shared an image with someone they thought they knew or trusted, but in many cases they are targeted by an individual they met online who obtained a sexual image from the child through deceit, coercion, or some other method.
Leaders of "764" Arrested and Charged for Operating Global Child Exploitation Enterprise
Two were arrested and charged for operating an international child exploitation enterprise known as “764,” a nihilistic violent extremist (NVE) network.
According to the affidavit in the District of Columbia, 764 is a network of nihilistic violent extremists who engage
in criminal conduct in the United States and abroad, seeking to destroy civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of vulnerable populations, which often include minors.
As alleged, they directed, participated in, and otherwise caused the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and the defendants facilitated the grooming, manipulation, and extortion of minors. They allegedly ordered their victims to commit acts of self-harm and engaged in psychological torment and extreme violence against minors. The affidavit alleges that the group targeted vulnerable children online, coercing them into producing degrading and explicit content under threat and manipulation. This content includes “cut signs” and “blood signs” through which young girls would cut symbols into their bodies.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Resources
Since 1998, NCMEC has operated the CyberTipline®, to provide the public and electronic service providers with the ability to report suspected child sexual exploitation including online enticement of children for sexual acts, extra-familial child sexual molestation, child pornography, child sex tourism, child sex trafficking, unsolicited obscene materials sent to children, misleading domain names, and misleading words or digital images on the internet. After NCMEC’s review is completed, the CyberTipline report is made available to the appropriate law enforcement agency.
To make a CyberTipline Report, visit report.cybertip.org.
Social Media
What is social media? Social media is a platform—an internet site or app—that lets people create and/or share information, ideas, messages, images, videos, or other forms of content. Examples include Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, WhatsApp, Twitter, Snapchat, Reddit, Facebook, Pinterest, and gaming platforms, among many others.
How does social media work? Like societies, social media connects people by shared interest, experience, geography, or ideology. These communities can be inclusive or exclusive, depending on the community’s focus. Social media platforms are constantly evolving how they interact with users, how users interact with each other, and how those interactions have effects in the “real” world.
Why is social media and the internet important to young people? Social media and the internet are how individuals communicate and express themselves. It is a portal for youth to access the world and the parts they find interesting. A youth’s access and ability to navigate social media equals normalcy and fitting in.
Through social media, youth can: Network; look for jobs or housing; stay in touch with family, friends, and peers; and keep informed about issues that are important to them
The hard line: As adults, it is easy to believe that the more control you have over something, the more you can expect a certain outcome—and that a ban on social media or the internet is in a youth’s best interest. But in an ever-connected world, a youth will need the tools, experience, and your help to navigate social media’s challenges and engage with the benefits.
Let it go and talk it out: Have a conversation with a youth in your care with the goal of building trust and empowerment, and giving them a foundation for being a smart “digital citizen.” This means talking about expectations and setting rules. Ask a youth why and how they use social media, how different apps work, and about their privacy settings. Ask them why they follow someone or something and what they think is the best or worst thing about social media.
Stay fluent: Hashtags, abbreviations, code words, slang, and emojis may mean one thing to you, but can signify something completely different in various social media communities. If you are uncertain about how a youth uses a word, ask them what it means.
Do the homework: Occasionally search a youth’s name or nickname online to see what images or information are publicly available; adding the name of a social media platform to that search can help refine the results. Caregivers should be aware of phone operating systems that enable hidden content and “vault” apps that can hide content. Multiple apps of the same type, like two calculators, or apps that require passwords, can also signal hidden content.
Build a framework: Help a youth navigate a platform’s privacy settings. Talk with them about posting certain opinions, threats, or about sex or violence. Know that posting about illegal drug sale or use, sex or labor trafficking, unlawful possession of weapons, “revenge porn,” or gang activity is risky.
Who else is looking? Employers, schools, and coaches know to look at social media when making decisions. If those decisions negatively impact a youth, the effects can last for years. Law enforcement also routinely reviews and responds to social media posts that indicate potential criminal conduct. Youth who have been juvenile justice-involved should take care with how they interact with social media if what they post could violate the terms of probation, release, or parole.
The importance of consent: Social media has normalized sharing without consent. Platforms can be places to encourage ridicule, share another person’s pain or trauma, or broadcast intimacy—all of which can be victimizing. Using empathy and kindness as an approach can be helpful in discussing consent with a youth. Caregivers should refrain from sharing content that identifies, discusses, or gives personal information about a youth or their family.
The tough stuff: Cyberbullying, “sextortion,” traffickers, extremist groups, pornography, and depictions of physical and/or sexual violence exist across all platforms. These are not difficult to find, even if a youth is not seeking them out.
Young people are vulnerable to inappropriate contact or suggestion, particularly youth in out- of-home care and/or who have been trafficked. Instead of avoiding these complicated issues, having a head-on conversation can give a youth the tools needed to handle encounters. Being a trusted adult can mean that a youth knows who and how to ask for help.
Question what it means to “keep up”: It’s easy for a person to look around social media and feel like their own life isn’t as good as what they see or to believe that they’re missing out. If you notice that a youth might be feeling this way, talk with them about social media being selective. Rarely do people share their insecurities, failures, bad days, or boring moments these things just don’t get many likes. Photo and video editing apps are good enough to fool most people.
Keep the line open: A conversation about social media and internet safety is one that never ends. Periodically check in with a youth on their use, ask them about their interests and activities, and show interest in their online communities.