Wisconsin Department of Justice Providing Resources for Online Safety After Rise in Sextortion Cases

Friday, May 3rd, 2024 -- 2:01 PM

The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force is providing resources for online safety as sextortion cases increase throughout the country, including in Wisconsin.

A La Crosse man was recently sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in a sextortion case investigated by the Wisconsin DOJ Division of Criminal Investigation. “We must keep our kids safe from online dangers,” said Attorney General Josh Kaul. “The Wisconsin Department of Justice is committed to holding accountable those who use the internet to commit crimes against children.”

Sextortion is a form of child sexual exploitation where children are threatened or blackmailed, most often with the possibility of sharing with the public a nude or sexual image of them, by a person who demands additional sexual content, sexual activity, or money from the child.

This year, so far, the Wisconsin ICAC Task Force has received 45 cybertips related to sextortion. In 2023, the task force received 176 cybertips related to sextortion.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), there has been a dramatic increase in financial sextortion where the offender demands money of the child. Teenage boys have been the most common targets in these recent cases.

A majority of the suspects in these cases are located in Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire and the Philippines. NCMEC recently launched an interactive experience online that allows parents and caregivers to see the reality of financial sextortion through an interactive film.

If you or someone you know has information on potential child exploitation, you can report it to NCMEC online at https://report.cybertip.org/ or by calling 1-800-843-5678.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.