Sextortion Is The New Stranger Danger For Kids On Social Media

Posing as Predators to Protect

In a world where the line between the physical and digital continues to blur, Detective Brandon Poor of North Texas finds himself in an unsettling but crucial role. Poor is an intimidating figure with a bald head and a beard, and he spends his days not as himself but as various teenage personas online. His mission? To catch sexual predators lurking on platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, and online gaming communities.

“I always say I’m the ugliest 12-year-old online,” Poor quips, referring to the decoys he and his partner use to reel in predators. Together, they call themselves the “Catfish Cops,” a title that blends humor with the grim reality of their task. Their work aims to tackle a fast-growing and alarming crime: sextortion, a modern form of blackmail that weaponizes shame and fear against vulnerable young victims.

What is Sextortion?

Sextortion is a crime that combines sexual exploitation with extortion. It begins when a predator, often posing as a peer or someone with a romantic interest, convinces a child under the age of 18 to send nude images or videos. Once the material is in hand, the predator turns the tables, using the content to blackmail the victim—demanding more explicit content or money to keep the images from being widely shared online.

Detective Poor has seen this unfold countless times. “They strike after getting a nude image,” he explains. “The threat is if you don’t send money—through CashApp, Venmo, gift cards, whatever—I will release this to your family, friends, or school.”

The result can be devastating. Many children are too afraid or embarrassed to ask for help, leading to a downward spiral of secrecy and shame. In some of the worst cases, Detective Poor has seen children driven to suicide by the relentless pressure of sextortion.

An Escalating Crisis

Since 2021, the FBI has reported a 323% increase in financially motivated sextortion cases, a startling statistic that underscores the growing threat. Poor and his team are keenly aware of how pervasive the crime has become. “Most of these organized crime groups operate from countries like Nigeria, the Ivory Coast, or the Philippines,” says Poor. “But we’re seeing U.S.-based operations too.”

One of the most alarming aspects of sextortion is the age and demographic of the victims. Boys between the ages of 14 and 17 are particularly vulnerable, and girls are targeted. The predators prey on a child’s fear of humiliation and exposure, manipulating them into making impossible choices.

“Embarrassment is a powerful motivator,” Poor notes. “Think about when you were in school. These kids are scared, they panic, and they try to handle it on their own. Unfortunately, that often makes things worse.”

A Dark Twist on Blackmail

The tactics used by extortionists are constantly evolving. Poor recalls cases where predators have gone beyond financial demands, asking victims to perform dangerous or degrading acts to prove their loyalty. In some instances, they’ve coerced children into carving initials into their bodies, a disturbing form of control that mimics the dynamics seen in human trafficking.

“There’s a lot of overlap with trafficking,” Poor explains. “People tend to think sextortion only happens to high-risk kids from troubled backgrounds, but we’re seeing it happen to kids from good families. This crime doesn’t discriminate.”

Parents often believe these horrors are confined to the dark web, but Poor points out that mainstream apps like Snapchat and Instagram are ground zero for these crimes. “Snapchat was designed for photos and videos to disappear,” he says. “Add features like encrypted vaults and location tracking, and it becomes a predator’s playground.”

The Role of Social Media in Sextortion

The design of many social media platforms plays an unintentional but significant role in enabling sextortion. “Snapchat and Instagram are the top platforms we see used for sextortion,” says Poor. The temporary nature of Snapchat messages—designed to disappear after being viewed—makes it harder for victims to provide evidence. Despite its publicized efforts to improve child safety, Instagram poses significant risks.

For predators, these platforms offer anonymity and an easy way to connect with young people outside of their immediate circles. Despite some positive steps from tech companies, Poor is blunt about the inherent dangers: “It’s tough to make these platforms safer when their core functions are so easily exploited.”

What Can Parents Do?

Poor is no stranger to the panic-stricken parents who come to him after discovering their child is a victim of sextortion. His first piece of advice: Don’t panic. “We usually see two types of reactions,” he says. “Dads want to go after the predator, and moms want to impersonate their kids and confront them online. Neither is helpful.”

Instead, Poor advises parents to contact local law enforcement immediately and avoid tampering with their child’s device, as it could compromise valuable evidence. “Don’t transfer anything off the kid’s device to your own,” he warns. “You might inadvertently transfer illegal material or mess up the evidence chain.”

To help families navigate the crisis, Poor and his partner have partnered with organizations to create a sextortion prevention and response guide. “We didn’t want to reinvent the wheel,” he says. “There are great resources out there, and our goal is to ensure parents know where to turn.”

Prevention Begins with Education

As alarming as the rise in sextortion is, Poor believes the key to fighting it lies in education. “Start the conversation early,” he advises. “We teach our kids how to brush their teeth from a young age, but when it comes to tougher subjects like body safety or online dangers, we often wait too long.”

Parents should begin talking to their children about online safety as early as possible, making it a natural part of everyday conversations. “You don’t have to have the entire conversation at once,” Poor says. “But the earlier you start talking about good touch, bad touch, and the risks of interacting with strangers online, the better equipped your child will be to handle these situations.”

In his own family, Poor practices what he preaches. “My kids know they can come to me if something happens online. They’ve done it before, and because we’ve had these conversations, they know they’re not going to be in trouble—they’re going to get help.”

Sextortion: A Growing Threat

As sextortion continues to rise, Poor sees the role of law enforcement expanding to focus more on prevention than prosecution. The sheer volume of cases makes it impossible to arrest every predator. “We can’t arrest our way out of this,” he admits. “The best thing we can do is educate kids and parents to prevent these crimes from happening in the first place.”

Poor’s final message to parents is clear: Stay involved, stay informed, and don’t underestimate the risks. “This isn’t something that only happens to other people,” he says. “It can happen to anyone.”

Looking Ahead

As sextortion schemes become more sophisticated, law enforcement must keep evolving. The rise of artificial intelligence, for example, is an emerging concern, though Poor admits that even he isn’t sure how AI will impact child exploitation yet. “It’s evolving faster than we can keep up with,” he says. “But we need to be prepared for what’s coming.”

In the meantime, parents, educators, and law enforcement must work together to combat this devastating crime. By fostering open conversations and building a culture of prevention, Poor hopes that fewer children will fall victim to online predators lurking in the digital shadows.

As the Catfish Cops continue their mission, one thing is certain: the fight against sextortion is only just beginning.