Sextortion: What Parents Must Know

HopNews recently attended a presentation on sextortion, led by prominent law enforcement experts in the field (listed below). The results of that meeting instilled a strong sense of urgency among the attendees to educate parents and guardians of children, especially boys, before it’s too late. We will strive to share what we learned. HopNews will announce when this important information will be presented again.

The Presenters

Detective Lieutenant Jeffrey Perry works for the Massachusetts State Police in the Cyber Crimes Unit. He is the Commander of the Massachusetts Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Force.

Dana Babbin is a former prosecutor now working for the National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC), a federal grantee that offers training and resources for law enforcement. Babbin worked as an Assistant District Attorney (ADA) in Suffolk and Middlesex County, taught the Prosecutor’s Clinic at Boston University Law School, and was the Commonwealth’s first-ever Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) prosecutor at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office.

Officer Tim Brennan is a Police Officer in Milford, Massachusetts. He formerly worked as a Sergeant and Detective in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. Officer Brennan has decades of investigative and patrol experience, as well as a background in the use of force, firearms, defensive tactics, and Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) training. Through RAD training, women learn quick-response self-defense techniques.

Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC)

ICAC is a national program funded through the Department of Justice (DOJ). There are 61 task forces that cover the entire U.S. and all its territories. When you hear ICAC, you may think “child porn,” but there is a reason why that term is being phased out.

Detective Lieutenant Jeff Perry explained that “The term has changed from child pornography to Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) because that’s truly what it is. Child pornography gives the sense that this is something voluntary, and that’s not at all what this is. These are child rape videos and pictures.”

Babbin added, “Some people even call it ‘kiddie porn.’ Please do not call it kiddie porn; that makes it sound like a cartoon. These are not cartoons. These are lengthy, sometimes hours-long videos of children being raped. ‘It is an injustice to call it kiddie porn.’”

Babbin continued, “On the news, you’ll hear child pornography, and one reason for that is the laws have not caught up. The laws in many states, and even federally, still use the term child pornography. Legally speaking, the cops and the prosecutors—that’s the language they use in their affidavits for their search warrants or their cases. Slowly, as Detective Lieutenant Perry mentioned, legislation is catching up, and that terminology will change.

The work that Detective Lieutenant Perry’s ICAC unit does can be categorized into the following:

• Reactive Work
• Proactive Work
• Community Outreach
• Education

“Most of our reactive work comes from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in the form of a CyberTip,” said Perry. Anytime Google or Facebook (FB) sees anything on their servers that looks like child sexual abuse material, they’re mandated to report it to NCMEC.

From there, it gets packaged into a CyberTip before being sent back to the state to which the IP address resolves. Massachusetts is slated to have over 11,000 CyberTips for the first time this year. Perry’s unit is trying to bring the fight to the “bad guys” in the form of proactive investigations. They do this through peer-to-peer file sharing. (Cops typically refer to perpetrators as “bad guys,” so I will too.)

Perry’s unit monitors peer-to-peer file-sharing networks for bad guys that are trading in CSAM. Based on the digital signature of the files, they know what it looks like. “As part of the national task force,” said Perry, “We’re constantly running through this material, and we know the bad guys that are trading this online.”

Custodian (formerly) at Hopkinton Middle School (HMS)

Perry pointed out that it was a proactive investigation that led to the apprehension of Benjamin Hogan, the middle school janitor alleged to be in possession of CSAM. Hogan, a Hopedale resident with Hopkinton roots, was allegedly seen trading in CSAM online, and, because of his proximity to children at work, rose to the top of Perry’s list of targets.

To ensure there were no cameras planted at the school, Perry’s canine swept the school in search of hidden electronic devices; none were found. The canine is part of the Massachusetts State Police’s Electronic Storage Detection Team; the dog is trained to sniff out and search for electronics.

Some believe that a more extensive vetting process would uncover a person in possession of CSAM. To that end, Detective Lieutenant Perry said, “We like to think that if somebody had spent more time vetting the person, we would have discovered a problem. But oftentimes, no matter who it is, this is their deepest, darkest secret.” Typically, nobody knows this is happening—not their spouse or anyone in their family.

“We charged him with one count of possession of child pornography (CSAM),” said Perry. [272/29C/A-1 CHILD PORNOGRAPHY, POSSESS c272 §29C (Felony)]

Hogan’s case: 2466CR002138.
Pretrial Hearing scheduled for 12/20/2024 was rescheduled for 02/27/2025 08:30 AM in Milford District court. Using the case number above, his case can be followed here.
Service: Court records, dockets, and case information
Milford District Court
Contact: 508-473-1260
Address: 161 West Street, Milford, MA 01757

Cell Phone Danger

Babbin shared a quote from one of her colleagues, “If you’re not ready to talk to your kid about what they’ll see on the internet and social media and what to do when they’re asked for pics, the kind of pics we’re talking about, then you’re not ready to give your kid a cell phone.”

Brennan added, “If your child doesn’t want to let you look at their phone, that’s okay, provided your child allows your spouse or another trusted adult access to their phone.” The life of your child could hinge on this. Babbin states that, “Some parents express concerns about infringing upon their children’s privacy.” But your child has no privacy. “Anything they share online can be scrutinized by anyone.”

She then inquired, “What is the most difficult type of search warrant to obtain?” The answer is wiretaps, which are essentially search warrants for a person’s voice. If privacy is a priority, Babbin says, “Use your voice by making a phone call. Any texts, emails, or written communication are open to scrutiny by others. The notion of privacy in this context is misleading. You cannot rely on any [electronic] communication being private.”

Law enforcement should always investigate all complaints, regardless of the child’s age.

What is Sexting?

Sexting is the act of sending and receiving sexually explicit messages, images, or videos through digital devices, primarily mobile phones. As soon as the cell phone is in the hands of a minor, they’re not just seeing sexy photos, but they’re also seeing offensive pornography.

Let’s say they’re following a certain influencer. If (when) they go through the comments of that influencer, they’ll see the URLs of porn sites attached to a comment. The kids don’t know what it is, so they click on it. Most of the time, they’re not going to tell you what they just saw. This is happening to very young kids; 54% are under the age of 13 when they first view pornography.

Key points

• Victim Blame: Young people often perceive the individual in the image as the “bad person,” exacerbating feelings of shame and bullying.
• Normal Behavior: Sexting is increasingly viewed as normal behavior among teens, contributing to a culture of bullying.
• Statistics: Many “good kids” engage in sexting, indicating that it’s not limited to troublemakers but affects a broad demographic, especially during puberty.
• Communication: Kids often make poor decisions out of curiosity. It’s essential for parents to engage in conversations with their kids about sexting and its implications.

Brennan pointed out that in cases involving minors, such as sharing inappropriate images, legal action may not always be necessary. Alternatives such as educational programs and restorative justice can effectively address behavior.

Restorative justice allows victims to regain a sense of closure and holds offenders accountable without resorting to traditional court processes. Advocating for restorative justice in your community can enhance support for victims and promote accountability among offenders.

What is Financially Motivated Sextortion? It’s Far More Serious.

Sextortion refers to a situation in which a predator pressures a minor into sending nude photos, which are subsequently exploited to demand money or further sexual acts. This typically occurs after the minor has interacted with the predator in an online environment.

Types of Sextortion:

1. Sexually Motivated.
2. Financially Motivated – Currently the most alarming.
3. Sadistically Motivated.

There’s a significant overlap between sexting and extortion, particularly in Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA) cases. Victims often find the presence of images and videos harder to cope with than the abuse itself, as these materials persist and serve as a constant reminder of their trauma. (Relive the rape.)

How Does Financially Motivated Sextortion Happen?

• Initial Contact: This stage involves predators initiating contact via social media, gaming platforms, or messaging applications, feigning interest in the victim’s hobbies or preferences.
• Building Relationship: They may impersonate teenage girls and create accounts that appear relatable. Predators typically have a minimal follower count and may follow individuals known to the victim.
• Requesting Explicit Material: Once a relationship has been established, they may solicit sexually explicit images or ask the victim to participate in sexual acts during video calls, often recording this without the victim’s knowledge.
• Extortion: After obtaining the material, the predator will threaten to share it with the victim’s relatives, friends, school, or post it on social media unless they receive a form of payment, which can include various methods such as gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers.

Typical Sextortion Case

Sextortion often initiates when a child engages in conversations on a gaming forum, where a predator takes advantage of their emotional state. For example, if a child is experiencing conflict with a parent, the predator may provide sympathetic support, fostering a misleading sense of security.

Predators frequently create deceptive profiles that resonate with the child’s interests, utilizing details gleaned from publicly accessible social media accounts. This strategy enables them to interact with the child in a manner that appears personal and inviting. These interactions can escalate rapidly, with some children feeling coerced into sharing explicit material shortly after meeting online.

In certain cases, boys may mistakenly believe they are communicating with a teen or adult female, resulting in the risky sharing of self-generated CSAM. If a nude photo is sent, the predator may threaten to distribute it unless the boy meets additional demands. Sadly, this can end in suicide.

Sextortion is marked by a gradual process of manipulation, wherein trust is established prior to the exploitation. Children often experience feelings of being overwhelmed and frightened, which can compel them to acquiesce to the predator’s demands.

Characteristics of Predators

Location: There are many predators (organized crime) based outside the U.S., especially in West African and Southeast Asian nations. Their motive is profit; they use schemes to blackmail the victim for money. This is an organized crime

Signs of a Predator: Accounts with profiles of teenage girls with few followers, or newly created accounts. Use of hacked accounts to lend credibility or “copycat” accounts. If the victim gets an FB friend request from someone who is already a friend, the friend’s account has been hacked.

After Initial Contact: Predators can escalate rapidly, sometimes in minutes. They might produce false content (such as news headlines or social media posts) to intimidate the victim even more. Even if a child hasn’t sent them nude content, predators can still use editing software to get them in a sexually explicit position.

Not my kid; he excelled academically, participated in sports, and now he’s headed to an Ivy League institution. Think again.

These are exactly the type kids that the predators seek out. They have the most to lose. A predator often can extract greater sums of money from these students. Sometimes these young people will take their own lives rather than confide in their parents, fearing the shame it may bring to their families.

Real Example from Hopkinton Middle School

This is what a HMS boy texted to a HMS girl:

• what ur shorts look like?
• i’ll show u my shirt if u show me what ur shorts look like now
• just stay up a bit more
• cmon give me one more good pic

Thankfully, this girl was smart enough to screenshot the pics, show the pics to her parents, and then block the kid. She also (like a true investigator) asked a couple of her classmates if they knew the kid. 

Response of one of those classmates:

Victim: hey, do you know a kid named ##? he’s in ur grade
Classmate: yes why?
Victim: he asked me some really weird and inappropriate questions and i’m wondering if you know if he has like asked anyone else like weird questions. does he have a reputation for being weird? lmk
Classmate: yea i don’t recommend him
Victim: yea (crying emoji)
Classmate: idk why he became like this he used to be rlly sweet

Most kids don’t know to take screenshots, report to parents, block requester, and poll classmates.  That kid was smart.

FYI, the boy in this real-life example comes from a good family, with good parents. But already, at 11 or 12 years old, he is exhibiting grooming techniques to entice his classmate into sending him self-generated CSAM (“nudes”). Enticing someone to do that is a felony (even just the attempt to obtain a nude like that is a crime – the requester doesn’t have to achieve success in getting a nude from the victim – even just the attempt of it is felonious “enticement”).

Prevention and Support

Educate Children: Parents and guardians must educate their children about the importance of maintaining good online practices and the potential risks. Teach kids why privacy matters, the dangers of sharing personal information or pictures, and how to spot suspicious behavior.

Reporting: Victims should be encouraged to report sextortion incidents to authorities without fear of shame or punishment. Tell kids to come to you, no matter what they might’ve done.

HopNews checked in with some local teenagers and teenage relatives in other states, and EVERY ONE of them knows someone who has fallen victim to sextortion. It’s that common!

Contacts and Important Information:

>> Learn more about ICAC
>> ICAC Task Force CONTACTS by STATE
>> I’m a Victim of Sextortion, what can I do?  (Print this document, both sides)
>> Notify the CyberTipLine

Don’t pay a “service” to investigate your case. It’s likely a scam. ONLY Report sextortion to law enforcement or a law enforcement agency.