Cyber tips reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in Minnesota continued at a high rate in 2024.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says there were approximately 12,595 cyber tips reported last year, continuing a trend that has seen a 1,000 percent increase in cyber tips reported statewide since 2016.
"Let's face it, we're in the digital age and everyone around us has some sort of electronic device," said Bobbi Jo Pazdernik, Special Agent in Charge of the Predatory Crimes Section and Commander of the Minnesota Crimes Against Children Taskforce with the Minnesota BCA. "I do believe that through awareness our communities, stakeholders, and citizens around the state have been made more aware of child sexual exploitation online. We're talking about it more, it's being identified more, and it's being reported more."
What's behind the rise?
The rise in cyber tips and crimes against children comes as more children find themselves online in a variety of settings including mobile apps, social media, and through online gaming.
Pazdernik says there used to be more of an emphasis put on children to not talk to strangers, but that message has gotten lost when it comes to coming in contact with people online.
"We used to talk to kids about stranger danger and we don't do that anymore because it's different because of online friends and access to people across the country and beyond."
For many children, the idea that the person they've been gaming with for a few months is a stranger might not hit home right away.
"That's their buddy, that's their friend," added Pazdernik. "They have a hard time differentiating what a stranger is to them. We used to talk to children about avoiding talking to people that you don't know and being careful when you go into places and someone's trying to talk to you that you don't know, it's not like that anymore."
Parents are reminded to stay knowledgeable about the social media and gaming apps children use on a daily basis.
"There's also understanding that apps and cell service have forms of parental control," Pazdernik said. "There are settings limiting the amount of time your children spend online. You can set curfews on digital devices, but those all come with having open conversations so you are transparent and your child doesn't feel like you're sneaking behind their back."
AI Challenges
The rise in AI is both good and bad when it comes to cracking down on individuals targeting children online.
According to Pazdernik, electronic service providers are under a federal mandate to report any Child Sexual Abuse Material to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Providers may use a form of AI to do keyword searches or search for certain images.
"AI can also be used to exploit children online," Pazdernik said. "Children love to take selfies and those selfies can be run through AI apps to undress the children. Therefore, creating sexually exploited material that a child did not even send."
That adds to the conversation between parents and children that anyone can be anyone online.
"Children could think they're talking to a young boy or young girl because that fits with the persona that's online through avatars and screennames, but we don't know who is on the other side of that screen. When you put your information into an online platform, that is no longer your information. That information is put out there whether it's talking about where you live or where you go to school. It's personal information you wouldn't want to tell a stranger."
Rising Sextortion Cases
In 2022 more than 7,000 reports of online sextortion involving children were made to law enforcement, with at least 3,000 of the victims identified as boys.
Online sextortion cases involving boys and young men are steadily rising in Minnesota. The Minnesota BCA says perpetrators often trick a person into sending explicit photos and then demand something in return for not sharing the photos with the sender's family and friends.
"One of the largest increases we're seeing in our cyber tipline is sextortion with predatory sextortion and financial sextortion which is attacking boys," Pazdernik said. "A lot of times we don't think of boys falling to predators online due to the societal biases of what's expected of a boy or a young man growing up."
National data shows the 2022 data found more than 20 children committed suicide because they felt there was no way out from the sextortion scheme.
"These financial sextortion cases are leading to higher instances of suicidal ideations."
A path forward
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has outlined steps that parents and caregivers can take if their child becomes a financial sextortion victim.
One of the most prevalent ways to addressing an issue is through communication, which can help find resources quickly and efficiently.
"The biggest thing adults can do is communication, prevention, and education with parents, schools, and children," added Pazdernik. "The kids need to know that it's okay to make mistakes and that we all mistakes. These people are bad people and if they trick you into doing something you don't want to do, we can figure it out. There needs to be a safe landing place for kids because they may feel guilty, some sort of shame, blame themselves, or feel alone because of what these bad actors are telling them to do. It's about having a trusted adult and letting these kids know we can figure this out together."