Promising results as sextortion reports decline, but concerns remain for children

The number of reports of sextortion to the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) has dropped significantly for the first time since the crime came to light in 2022. However, concerns remain that too many victims are being blackmailed.

In the first six months of 2024, the ACCCE received 560 reports of sextortion, an average of 93 reports per month, compared to an average of 300 reports per month in calendar year 2023.

The AFP is releasing new figures during National Child Protection Week to highlight the effectiveness of joint efforts by law enforcement and the community to raise awareness of sextortion and combat online child predators.

Since 2022, the AFP and AUSTRAC, in collaboration with the financial sector, have facilitated the closure of bank accounts in Australia linked to international criminal organisations involved in sextortion.

More than 1,800 Australian bank, financial services and digital currency accounts linked to organised criminals sexually extorting Australian teenagers have been closed under Operation Huntsman.

Helen Schneider, commander of AFP’s Human Exploitation Unit, said police believe a combination of factors contributed to the drop in reports.

“Increased public awareness, particularly among parents and young people themselves, combined with the AFP’s collaboration with partners such as AUSTRAC, is likely to make it more difficult for criminals to exploit children online,” Commander Schneider said.

“We have worked closely with AUSTRAC and financial institutions to make Australia a hostile environment for organised criminals seeking to profit from the sextortion of our young people.

“Our intelligence indicates how effective we have been, with organised criminals regularly complaining to each other online about how difficult it is to extort money from young people in Australia.”

Sextortion is a form of online blackmail in which perpetrators trick or coerce someone into sending sexual images of themselves, before threatening to share the images if their demands are not met. These demands may be for money, gift cards, or more graphic content.

Commander Schneider welcomed the drop in reports of sextortion, but said the AFP-led ACCCE remains committed to combating this type of crime.

“Although the number of reports has decreased, this is still an underreported crime. The sad reality is that we still receive almost 100 reports a month of children in Australia being targeted by criminals,” Commander Schneider said.

“That is why the AFP will continue to turn Australia into a hostile environment for those who seek to exploit our children, during National Child Protection Week and every week.”

Anthony Helmond, AUSTRAC Acting National Manager for Law Enforcement and Industry, said it was disturbing that Australian children were being exploited in this way.

“Access to the Internet and the ease of online financial transactions have put vulnerable groups worldwide within reach of criminals,” said Mr Helmond.

“As Australia’s financial intelligence agency, AUSTRAC is uniquely placed to identify suspicious financial transactions and share that critical data with our law enforcement partners.

“By pooling our knowledge and capabilities, we can identify and combat criminals who target young Australians through sextortion.

“AUSTRAC’s ability to track money flows and our partnership with industry has resulted in the closure of numerous accounts that supported offshore organised criminals seeking to sexually extort Australians. Government and industry are working closely together to keep the community safe by tackling this devious crime.”

Warning signs for parents and caregivers that a child may be a victim of sextortion:

• Unsolicited friend or follow requests or random advertisements from people your child doesn’t know;
• Sudden sexualizing questions or conversations;
• Receiving sexual images directly from a profile that requests them from the child;
• Receiving a direct message on one app and then being prompted to continue chatting on another app;
• Signs that English is the second language of the person sending the messages;
• The fake profile may indicate that their webcam or microphone is not working for video calls/chats to confirm their identity; and
• The fake profile promises to delete your content.

If you think you are a victim of sextortion or if you know someone who is a victim of sextortion:

• Stop the chat;
• Take screenshots of the text and profile;
• Block the account and report it to the platform;
• MAKE SURE you get support from a trusted friend or family member, or professional support services, and seek mental health support if needed. Kids Helpline offers free, confidential sessions with counselors;
• Report the crime to the ACCCE;
• Do NOT send more images or pay more as this will lead to more demands;
• Do NOT respond to demands;
• Do NOT respond to further communications; and
• Don’t think you are alone.

If you are concerned about your safety or that of someone else, call 000 immediately or contact your local police station.

The AFP-led ThinkUKnow programme has developed a tool to help the community identify sextortion and get help. The online blackmail and sexual extortion response kit, aimed at young people aged 13 to 17, is available on the ThinkUKnow and ACCCE websites.

The AFP and its partners are committed to ending online child sexual exploitation. The ACCCE is the driving force behind a joint national approach to combating child abuse.

The ACCCE brings together specialist expertise and skills in a central hub, supports investigations into online child sexual exploitation and develops prevention strategies aimed at creating a safer online environment.

Members of the public who have information about people involved in online child sexual exploitation are urged to contact the ACCCE. If you know of any abuse currently taking place or a child at risk, call the police immediately on 000.

If you or someone you know is experiencing child sexual abuse and online exploitation, there is support available.

For more information about the role of the ACCCE, what online child sexual exploitation is and how to report it, please visit the ACCCE website.

Note to the media

Use of the term ‘CHILD ABUSE’ MATERIAL and not ‘CHILD PORNOGRAPHY’

The correct legal term is ‘child abuse material’. The move to this wording was one of a series of changes to Commonwealth law in 2019 to more accurately reflect the seriousness of the crimes and the harm caused to victims.

The use of the term “child pornography” is incorrect and benefits child abusers because it:

• indicates legitimacy and cooperation on the part of the victim and therefore legality on the part of the abuser; and
• conjures up images of children posing in ‘provocative’ poses, rather than being horribly abused.

Each photo or video captures an actual situation in which a child has been abused.