CSAM + SEXTORTION
The new weapon against our kids: Blackmail, Shame, and Exposure.
Be Your Child’s First Line of Defense
Today’s kids are growing up in a digital world their parents never had to navigate — where predators, pornography, and exploitation are only a click away. Their brains are still developing. Their boundaries are still forming.
They need you — informed, alert, and engaged. We’ll help you guide them safely through the noise.
If your child has a phone, they're at risk.
Predators are using photos, threats, and fear to trap kids into silence and submission.
What Parents Need To Know — And Do
A Modern Epidemic: Abuse Meets Technology
In 2004, there were 450,000 suspected CSAM files reported.
In 2024, that number exploded to 61 million.
The intersection of child abuse and digital access has created a global public health crisis.
WHAT IS CSAM?
- Child Sexual Abuse Material — not “child porn.”
- Every file is documentation of a crime against a child.
- These images are shared, traded, and stored by predators.
- Every click is a re-victimization.
WHAT IS SEXTORTION?
- Sextortion is blackmail.
- Predators trick or coerce a child into sending images — then threaten to expose them unless they send more.
- Many predators operate overseas. Most use fake profiles to gain trust.
- Victims often feel ashamed, scared, and isolated — and they suffer in silence.
WHO’S BEING TARGETED?
- Teen boys are the #1 victims of financial sextortion
- Teen girls are often groomed and exploited for CSAM
- Kids as young as 7 have been lured on YouTube, chat apps, and gaming platforms
Red Flags For Parents
Sudden anxiety or secrecy around devices
Gift card activity or unexplained transfers
Inappropriate messages or unknown DMs
Emotional shutdown, shame, or withdrawal after being online
What You Can Do
Talk Early. Talk Often
Start the conversation before it happens:
“Have you ever been asked to send a photo online?”
“What would you do if someone threatened you over a message?”
“You can always come to me—no matter what.”
Secure Their Devices.
Disable DMs from strangers.
Use filters and monitoring tools like Bark or Canopy.
Review privacy settings together.
Build a Digital Safety Plan
Who do they turn to if something goes wrong?
What should they do if they feel trapped, scared, or exposed?
Make sure they know: It’s not their fault. They are not alone.
If It Happens
Stay calm. Be the safe place.
Don’t pay — blackmailers don’t stop.
Save all messages, usernames, and screenshots.
Report it immediately to:
- NCMEC CyberTipline
- Local law enforcement
Don't know where to start? Take the first step.
Whether this is your first conversation or your fiftieth, it’s never too late — or too early — to protect your child. Kids today face hidden threats like DMs from strangers, secret apps, viral challenges, sexting, and digital peer pressure. Curiosity, confusion, or coercion can all lead to risky behaviors — and the biggest harm often comes when content is shared without consent. Your guidance is your child’s best defense. Start small. Stay calm. Keep the door open.
Start the Conversation.
Protect Your Child.
Your child needs to know: they can tell you anything, without fear. Help them build the confidence to speak up.
Sextortion: Emergency & Reporting Resources
FBI Sextortion Resource Page
Offers guidance for parents, teens, and educators; includes instructions on how to report cases of sextortion.
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) – CyberTipline
Central platform to report online enticement, child sexual abuse imagery, sextortion, and more.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Report a Crime
Allows direct tip submissions to HSI for crimes, including sextortion and other exploitation cases.