Boys as young as 13 being targeted in sextortion scams

Boys as young as 13 are increasingly being targeted by so-called sextortion scammers, Police Scotland figures reveal.

The victims are typically enticed into sending explicit photos and videos to strangers they have befriended online.

They are then blackmailed into paying to make sure the images are not made public.

Rising numbers of cases have been identified in Police Scotland's latest performance report.

The Scotland-wide analysis shows "the vast majority" of threats and extortions recorded last year related to sextortion-style crimes against males.

In the Lothians and Scottish Borders, the most frequent age range of victims was 13 to 18 years old.

Boys and young men aged between 14 and 23 were the most likely victims in Ayrshire, where 76 of 80 threats and extortions recorded last year related to the sharing of indecent images.

All 16 victims in Dumfries and Galloway were aged between 16 and 20 and they were all male.

In the Highlands and Islands division, the targets were primarily young males under 18, or in the 18 to 24-years-old age category.

Meanwhile, in Renfrewshire and Inverclyde all but one of the victims of the 32 sexual extortion crimes analysed was male with an average age of 27.

Between 2020 and 2021, the number of sextortion cases reported to police in the UK rose by more than 40%, with nine out of 10 victims being male.

Police Scotland described sextortion as "an insidious crime" and said it was now raising awareness in schools and colleges, as well as in pubs and on social media.

A force spokesperson said: "It is a form of blackmail and can pose challenges to detect as those responsible typically operate outwith the UK.

"These criminals do not care about the devastating impact their demands can have on victims.

"They can be very persuasive in encouraging people to send pictures or videos of themselves, before threatening to send those images to friends or family members if they do not pay.

"Anyone who does become a victim should not panic and report it to police and it will be investigated.

"You should not be embarrassed or feel that you will be judged and there is help and support available."

The NSPCC said it was vital that young people are made aware of the risks of the crimes and know where to turn for support if they are targeted.

A spokesperson added: "That's why we believe it is critical that the revised Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood (RSHP) Education in Scotland includes robust guidance on teaching children and young people about online safety, including the risks of sharing and viewing self-generated sexual images."