NMDOJ says Snapchat ignored messages about sextortion, according to a new lawsuit

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A popular social media app was aware of the dangers young people were exposed to on its platform and took no action, according to a new, unredacted complaint filed by the New Mexico Attorney General , Raúl Torrez, to Snapchat.

The NMDOJ originally filed a lawsuit against Snap Inc. on September 4, but a newly filed, unredacted complaint reveals new details in the lawsuit.

“This latest filing shows that Snapchat, like Meta, has known for a long time that they have underage users on the platform. And number two, that those minors are routinely inundated with requests for inappropriate content,” Torrez said.

According to the complaint, international communications indicate that employees discussed 10,000 reports of sextortion each month, noting that the actual number of abuse cases is likely higher. According to the complaint, employees also failed to warn users of the dangers because they did not want to “spark fear” among young users. The lawsuit also cites an account that has received 75 separate reports for inappropriate behavior and remains active. The safety problems online lead to safety problems in real life.

“This is actually a primary method for someone interested in targeting, grooming and victimizing children in real life,” says Torrez.

The complaint takes the example of Alejandro Marquez, who pleaded guilty in New Mexico in 2023 to raping an 11-year-old girl he met through Snapchat’s “quick add” feature. News 13 also followed the local case of Jeremy Guthrie, who was found guilty of nine counts of rape for having an ongoing sexual relationship with a 12-year-old girl he met on Snapchat.

The lawsuit also alleges that the platform facilitates the exploitation and trafficking of children, as well as the illegal sale of weapons and drugs to minors.

The NMDOJ has a list of resources for teens and parents to protect themselves from the threats of social media platforms. Resources can be found here.