Authorities globally have warned about a sharp increase in the “sadistic online exploitation” of young people. Amid a wave of arrests, there are growing questions about how parents can identify whether their children are the victims of such crimes and how best to support families affected by them.
Offenders in this ecosystem often use threats and manipulation, court records show, coercing victims into producing imagery or livestreaming sexually explicit acts, self-harm or animal cruelty. In some cases, they have “swatted” family homes – calling in a fake threat to provoke an armed police response – as part of the pressure campaign.
