Northumbria Police dealing with a rapid increase in 'sextortion'

Police say they're dealing with more incidents of webcam blackmail in the North East.

Published 13th Apr 2016

Police say they're dealing with more incidents of webcam blackmail in the North East.

In recent months there have been a number of incidents reported where adults have been lured into performing intimate acts in front of a webcam or sharing videos or images with people they have met online in chat rooms.

The recipient then threatens to blackmail the victim saying they will distribute the footage on social media sites and share with the victim’s family and friends unless a substantial amount of money is paid.

This Tyneside victim told us he thought he was sending pictures to a girl on Facebook, before he was told to pay 4000 euros. We’re keeping him anonymous. He said:

“I was exchanging explicit pictures online to someone on my Facebook... I was then told that I was to send 4000 euros to a certain person or the images would be released to a French journalist. “It made me feel pretty stupid for getting myself in that situation in the first place. I was really worried about the pictures being exposed. “It wasn't really difficult to report it because I wasn't thinking about that at the time, I was just panicking about the images being made public. But my message to other victims is do not pay the money and contact the police immediately”

Officers want to remind people to be on their guard and be mindful of who they share content with online to avoid being lured into a compromising situation and exploited.

Detective Inspector Paul Stewart said:

“Sextortion is crime that we think is rapidly on the increase.

“It’s a very serious offence; it carries a very large sentence of imprisonment on conviction. We can catch you, we can convict you and you will go prison for a long time.

"Our advice is don't get lured into compromising situations with complete strangers where you could potentially put yourself at risk of being exploited and blackmailed, you don't know them and cannot trust them.

"These sorts of offences can have a huge impact on victims and we understand some victims may feel embarrassed but they can be reassured that officers will carry enquiries with the absolute sensitivity and we would urge anyone who has been a victim to come forward and speak to us.”

People can contact police on 101, extension 69191 or via the Northumbria Police website, www.northumbria.police.uk where more information on staying safe online can be found.