(Vancouver) The number of sextortion cases has skyrocketed during the pandemic to alarming levels, warn experts who want more public awareness and stronger laws and regulatory frameworks.
Updated yesterday at 4:14 p.m.
According to data released this week by Statistics Canada, the number of extortion cases reported to police in Canada has jumped nearly 300% in nearly a decade. Much of this uptick has been seen during the pandemic.
Sextortion is a crime that caught the eye of Canadians when a 15-year-old girl from British Columbia took her own life in 2012 after being stalked by a bully hiding behind her anonymity.
Aydin Coban, a Dutch man charged with extortion, criminal harassment, communicating with a teenage girl to commit a sexual offense and two counts of possession of child pornography, was convicted on all counts on Saturday by a jury.
Signy Arnason, of the Canadian Center for Child Protection, points out that the phenomenon has not stopped growing since the death of young Todd. “It’s out of control,” she laments.
Police departments have often issued new warnings to the public against sextortion.
“Unfortunately, police around the world have seen situations like this end tragically in the suicide of the victims,” Corporal Mark Sobieraj of the Child Exploitation Unit wrote just last week. on the RCMP Internet. “We urge parents and guardians to discuss possible dangers with children and stress the importance of them coming to you for help. »
Statistics Canada reports that the number of cases of non-consensual distribution of intimate images increased by nearly 9% in 2021 compared to the previous year. This also represents a 52% increase in the number of cases compared to the average of the previous five years.
“Social networks and other digital service providers are contributing to these disturbing increases,” said Canadian Center for Child Protection Executive Director Lianna McDonald. It is an alarm bell”.
Cybertip.ca says an “unprecedented number of teens and, in some cases, concerned parents, have approached the Canadian Center […] to report cases of sextortion characterized by aggressive tactics”. Thus in July, 322 files were opened for victims of sextortion.
“The analysis also revealed the emergence of a new tactic whereby the sextorker behind the fake account sends child sexual abuse images to the victim. The sextorker will then threaten to report the victim to the police on the pretext that they are in possession of illegal images. Requests for money will follow immediately,” the site said in a statement last week.
Research suggests that victims often prefer to remain silent
According to David Fraser, a Halifax lawyer, one of the reasons for this phenomenon lies in the fear of victims of being accused of possession of child pornography, even if it is a photo of themselves. This is a widespread misconception among the population, even among law enforcement.
“We have to be very careful about the message we want to send to these young people. You just have to tell them that there are safe places they can go and get help if things escalate,” he said.
Me Fraser recalls that the Supreme Court of Canada established in 2001 an exemption to the sections of the Criminal Code on the possession of pornographic material. The nation’s highest court then ruled that teenagers had the right to create intimate images of themselves as long as they did not show them engaging in illegal consensual sexual activity and were kept privately. .
The lawyer also wants greater awareness of police forces and greater resources made available to them.
“I see a lack of police competence to consider existing laws in a digital context. Extortion is extortion, whether threatening to expose intimate photos or a more conventional form of blackmail. »
Mme McDonald’s is calling for the rapid imposition of a “regulatory framework for tech companies,” including Snapchat and Instagram, where child abusers will most easily find children.
“The problem is only getting worse, and it really begs the question what these companies are doing to keep kids safe. It is inconceivable that social media platforms let completely unknown adults contact our children directly and prey on them with impunity. »
The Federal Department of Heritage says the federal government is developing a strategy to combat harmful content online. This could include the creation of a regulatory body.
Minister Pablo Rodriguez “is currently conducting consultations with victims of toxic online content”.