British teenage boys are being targeted by Nigerian crime gangs engaging in sextortion, primarily through social media. The NCA reports that 90% of sextortion victims are boys aged 14 to 17, who are coerced into sending explicit images and subsequently blackmailed. The agency has launched a campaign to educate youths and parents about the risks and reporting methods associated with these crimes, emphasizing that help is available and that payments to blackmailers should not be made.
British teenage boys are increasingly falling victim to Nigerian crime gangs engaging in online sexual extortion, as reported by the National Crime Agency (NCA). The perpetrators target boys as young as 14 via social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram, tricking them into sending explicit images before demanding payment, often around £100. Notably, while most victims of child sexual exploitation are female, around 90% of sextortion victims in this specific incident are male teens aged 14 to 17, highlighting a concerning trend.
The criminals employ tactics of intimidation, threatening to disseminate compromising images to parents, peers, and educational institutions if the demands are not met. Besides Nigeria, offenders are also known to originate from countries like the Ivory Coast and the Philippines. Marie Smith, a senior manager at the NCA’s Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command (CEOP), characterized the situation as “extremely disturbing,” noting that offenders frequently utilize fake profiles of young women to lure boys into sharing indecent images and subsequently pressure them for payment.
Though the primary targets are teenagers, the NCA indicates that adults as old as 30 have also been victimized. Tragically, there have been instances where victims, overwhelmed with fear of exposure, have taken their own lives. In response, the NCA has initiated an awareness campaign designed to instruct potential victims to remain calm and avoid yielding to blackmail demands. The recommendation is clear: “Do not pay – stay calm. We can help. If you pay once, they will just demand more,” said Ms. Smith.
The NCA is collaborating with authorities in Nigeria to intensify efforts against these gangs. Ms. Smith expressed hope that the international cooperation would lead to accountability for these offenders, stating, “Nothing is off the cards and we hope to hold these criminals accountable.” To effectively reach its audience, the campaign will utilize social media channels to inform boys aged 15 to 17 about sextortion tactics and how to safely report any incidents.
NCA Director of Threat Leadership, Alex Murray, emphasized the severity of sextortion’s impact, asserting it could lead to devastating consequences for victims. He mentioned, “This campaign will help empower young boys, giving them the knowledge to spot the dangers posed by this crime type and how to report it.”
Statistics reveal that the issue is escalating, with the NCA’s CEOP safety center receiving 380 sextortion reports in 2024, while UK police reported an average of 117 monthly cases involving minors during the first five months of the year. In comparison, the United States’ National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children documented over 28,000 global sextortion reports in 2024, up from 26,718 in the previous year.
A study commissioned by the NCA revealed that a majority of boys surveyed were unaware of the implications of sextortion: 74% did not fully understand it, and most could not identify requests for nude images as a warning sign. Furthermore, nearly 73% were unsure how to report such crimes, and only 12% thought they were at risk. To address this, the NCA has provided guidance for parents on identifying risks, initiating conversations about the dangers, and supporting potential victims.
In conclusion, British teenage boys are increasingly targeted by Nigerian sextortion gangs through social media, with an alarming trend indicating that 90% of the victims are male teens aged 14 to 17. The NCA has launched a campaign to raise awareness and educate youths about reporting and protecting themselves against such exploitation. With the collaboration of international law enforcement, there is hope for accountability and deterrence of these criminal activities. Education and parental guidance are essential in combating this growing threat.
Original Source: www.irishnews.com
