Staffordshire parents are being urged to talk to their children about the risk of financially motivated sexual extortion as part of a campaign to raise awareness and protect young people.

The Staffordshire Police campaign, which begins today (19 October), follows work by the National Crime Agency (NCA) to increase parents' and carers' understanding of what sexual extortion is and what it involves as well as guidance about how to keep loved ones safe.

What can it involve?:

• Being contacted by an unknown online account or a hacked account of a family member, friend etc where the communication feels unfamiliar
• The sender may quickly engage in sexually explicit communications, which may include the offender sharing an image first
• A chat on social media, an online platform or game may move to a private platform such as an end-to-end encrypted messaging app
• Being manipulated or pressured into taking nude or semi-nude photos or videos
• Users being told they have been hacked and the offender has access to their images, personal information and contacts (whether this is true or not)
• Being blackmailed into sending money or meeting another financial demand (such as purchasing a pre-paid gift card) after sharing an image, or the offender sharing hacked or digitally manipulated/AI-generated images of a person to make the threat of sharing them wider

According to the National Crime Agency (NCA), financially motivated sexual extortion is usually carried out by organised crime groups (OCGs), often based overseas, who are typically motivated by money.

These groups target all ages and genders however, a large proportion of cases have involved male victims aged 14-18.

Staffordshire Police said: "In Staffordshire, we have seen the number of reported similar 'sextortion' cases increase in recent years, with 12 cases reported between February 2020 and 2025.

"Out of the victims in each of these cases, three of them were under 18, and all of them were male.

"Nationally, young men and boys are considered to be most at risk of falling victim to this type of crime, with the NCA and the NSPCC reporting an increase of boys experiencing online sexual extortion in the last two years.

"From 2024 to 2025, we received six reports of similar offending with suspects communicating with victims via online gaming platforms, with suspects aged in their 20s offending against child victims, including sending and requesting explicit material."

Recently, officers supported a child who was contacted by a man on Snapchat who then sent illicit photographs and urged the victim to do the same.

Fortunately, the victim's parents checked their phone regularly and saw the messages before swiftly reporting them to police.

An investigation is now underway.

Staffordshire Police added: "These cases demonstrate how important it is for parents and carers to speak regularly and openly with their children about what they are doing online, who they are speaking to, and review devices and gaming profiles themselves."

Detective Chief Inspector Shelley Burns, from the child public protection unit, said: "A child or young person is never to blame if they have been a victim of this exploitation.

"Offenders will have tricked, groomed or manipulated them into sharing images of themselves.

"Although thankfully reported cases in Staffordshire are relatively low, the mental health impact on the young people involved can be significant, as they can feel ashamed to come forward and admit they're being blackmailed in this way, something which perpetrators prey on.

"That's why it's really important to have frequent, open and non-judgemental conversations with your child about relationships, sex and being online to build trust and support them if something goes wrong.

"Financially motivated sexual extortion should be included in those conversations.

"If it has already happened and your child has shared an image and sent money to someone exploiting them, it's vital that you report it to us as soon as possible so we can investigate and protect them.

"Do not delete anything and do not block the offender until you have reported the incident to us and we have taken the devices.

"You can also use the Report Remove tool from Childline or the Take it Down tool from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to prevent images being shared and report it to the NCA's child exploitation and online protection command here.

"It is vital that any child affected by this type of crime is reassured that they have done the right thing in telling you.

"They are not to blame for what has happened and they have done the right thing in asking for help.

"We will then do all we can to protect your loved one, identify the perpetrator and bring them before the courts."

Click here to find further help and support.

To report financially motivated sexual extortion or related crime in Staffordshire, call 101 or report anonymously via Crimestoppers.

If there is an immediate risk to life, call 999.