Digital Sexual exploitation (Sexploitation)
Sexploitation happens when an individual manipulates, coerces, or threatens a person into providing sexually explicit images or videos, and then uses these materials to blackmail them for money or exploit them further.
Information for parents and carers
Discovering that your child has fallen victim to this type of crime can be devastating, but it is crucial to respond swiftly, empathetically, and effectively.
- a new relationship online with a person who seems real and likes similar things to your child, but they don’t know them in person
- the person asks your child to move to a different platform to communicate such as Instagram
- an online relationship moving very quickly. A perpetrator might very quickly be flirty, tell your child they like them early on, and ask them for intimate images or videos. Quite often they send a sexual/indecent image to your child first
- a perpetrator may repeatedly ask your child to do sexual things they do not feel comfortable with. It is never ok for someone to ask your child to do things they do not want to
- they might tell your child that they have hacked them or that they have access to their contacts
- some blackmailers might tell your child they have got images or information about them from their device. They might threaten to share this information unless money is given to them
- talk to your child about not sharing intimate images or videos online
- ensure your child understands not to be pressured into removing clothes or performing intimate acts online
- remind your child that as soon as an image is sent you cannot get it back
- ask them to be wary about who they invite or accept invitations from on social networking sites. They should not accept friendship requests from complete strangers and be wary of unexpected contact from people they do know, as this may not be the person they believe it to be
- update the privacy settings on your child’s social networking accounts so only people you know can view their account
- your child should not include any sensitive, identifiable, private, or confidential information in their profiles
- do not panic. Do not pay
- report to police immediately via kent.police.uk/report
- save the evidence; take screenshots of chat logs, save messages, retain images but do not share them. Also save any URL links but do not click these links
- if the communication has been on social media platforms, then report it to those channels
- report it to your internet provider
- block all communication with the person
Can help remove online sexually explicit photos and videos taken
before the child was 18.
Report Remove (Childline)
Can help young people under 18 in the UK to confidentially
report sexual images and videos of themselves and remove them
from the internet.
Internet Watch Foundation
A technology-led, child protection organisation, making the
internet a safer place for children and adults across the world.
CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre)
A law enforcement agency and can help keep children and young
people keep safe from sexual abuse and grooming online.
Young Minds
The UK’s leading charity fighting for children and young people’s
mental health.
Fearless
A young person’s Crimestoppers where they can report crime
anonymously.