Police warning after children as young as 10 lured into sending sexually explicit images online
Children as young as 10 are being lured into sending sexually explicit images online and then blackmailed, according to Gloucestershire Police.
Since May this year there have been at least 17 incidents reported in the county, with Instagram and Snapchat being the main platform the boys and girls have been approached on.
In Gloucestershire, children as young as 10 have been approached online, with the most common age being around 16-years-old. In some cases victims have lost money.
Police are now urging parents and carers to have conversations with children about online safety and the risks.
Detective Inspector Cheryl Godwin said: "There is likely a huge under-reporting of these type of offences, as children may feel embarrassed or ashamed of what's happened.
"It can be hugely upsetting for the child for this to happen to them, and leave them extremely fearful of what may happen next.
"If you have found yourself in this situation please try not to panic - stop all communication with the person and if you are being asked for money, do not pay them. Instead screen capture any evidence where you can and contact police.
"These offenders exploit the vulnerability of children - and we would urge parents and carers to remind children that control is lost as soon as an explicit image is sent to anyone, and many images inevitably end up being shared and spread online."
Police say this is often described as 'sextortion' - where someone threatens to share those sexual pictures or videos unless the victim does something in return, such as pay them.
Officers added that often an unknown individual will send the child a friend request on a social media or messaging platform, and build a rapport with the young person, making them believe they are of a similar age to them.
The conversation will then become sexualised, and the offenders will request sexual images or videos.
Once these have been sent, they will then blackmail the victim by threatening to release the images to their family, friends or on other online platforms such as YouTube, if they do not pay them in money or gift cards.