Mitakuyapi - Friends and Relatives, |
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I hope you are well. Happy Pride Month, especially for our two-spirit relatives. Also, here's wishing you a happy spring, which is almost over! Can you believe that? But time flies when you're doing what you love. Thank you for being here. |
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Over the past several months it has been very challenging for us here at Pathfinder Center. One of our main challenges is funding to keep providing our services to help survivors heal from trauma. If you would like to help please consider donating today (at the button below), or when you can. Thank you so much. Another challenge for us is that I injured my shoulder, my rotator cuff to be exact, while shoveling snow two winters ago and I have been in a lot of pain. The good news is that I had surgery a few weeks back and thankfully I am now on the mend and getting physical therapy. But, as you can imagine, I haven't had much stamina to pull our newsletter together, but we'll get back on track soon. |
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In the meantime, we'd like to share this recent news about how Sextortion is on the rise across North America! |
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Sextortion is on the Rise Across North America. |
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What is Sextortion? Simply put, sextortion is blackmail. It's when someone online threatens to send a sexual image or video of you to other people if you don't pay them or provide more sexual content. It has been happening to young girls over many years, but online predators are targeting young boys now, too. The Federal Bureau of Investigation began investigating this crime and putting out warnings for over eight years now. How does Sextortion start? Sextortion typically occurs when the victim, (young men in particular), are tricked into believing they are talking to a female online and/or someone their own age. This uptick has been on the rise for a few years now and it’s hitting other countries. And on May 28th, Nova Scotia Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) published a public warning about the increase in sextortion scams targeting young males. Here in the U.S., in early 2022, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children started to notice an alarming pattern, unlike anything it had seen before. Hundreds of cybertips began flooding in, bucking the trend of typical exploitation cases. In these reports, teen boys were being catfished by individuals pretending to be teen girls—and they were sending the nude photos first. The extortion was rapid-fire, sometimes occurring within hours. And it wasn’t sexually motivated; the predators wanted money. This contact often occurs on Instagram and then moves to Snapchat. The offender will typically say that their microphone does not work so they can only use the chat function and the conversation can last for 20 minutes to several hours. The victim is convinced to exchange sexual content such as photos, videos, and livestream. The offender will then threaten to share the material publicly and/or with the victim's friends and family, unless they comply with demands, which can include sending more explicit content or money. The FBI reported that sextortion scams have become one of the fastest-growing crimes targeting children in the US, according to the agency. |
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The NCMEC received 100 reports of financially motivated sexual extortion back in January 2022. Last year, after asking social media platforms to start tracking the crime, they received more than 20,000 such reports. From October 2021 to March 2023, the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations received over 13,000 reports of online financial sextortion of minors. The sextortion involved at least 12,600 victims—primarily boys—and led to at least 20 suicides. |
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According to the Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board: Suicide in South Dakota is the 7th LEADING CAUSE of death among Natives. Suicide rates among Natives are 2.5x HIGHER than White rates. Males account for 63% of suicides, Females 37%. Although we can not say for sure, but sextortion could well be one of the causes of this suicide epidemic that is tragically taking our young people from us and it can be prevented. |
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How can I prevent Sextortion from happening? |
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Parents and Caregivers are urged to speak to their youth about how to prevent Sextortion: Do not accept social media friend requests from strangers Avoid sharing intimate images and videos online Keep electronic devices out of bedrooms at bedtime Monitor online activities
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What should youth do if they are being sextorted? If someone is threatening you to share nude images and or videos, reach out to a trusted adult or the police, and take the following steps: |
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Do not comply with any threats Stop talking to them and screenshot the messages Never pay money or send additional images or videos Delete and block the offender Report to tips.fbi.gov. and report to your local police
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Remember, even though sextortion is committed virtually, it has a profound effect. Victims can feel alone, ashamed, scared, and sometimes desperate – to the point where they can harm themselves. If you or someone you know believes that they are a victim of sextortion or financially motivated sextortion, immediately report the activity to law enforcement. You can report it to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or visiting tips.fbi.gov. |
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Please keep our loved ones in your prayers for safety, peace, and healing, as we continue our services to educate our communities about Sextortion and Sex Trafficking. We must stop these crimes in our tribal, rural, and urban communities. |
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God bless each one of you and please keep Pathfinder Center staff and survivors in your prayers. Thank you all for your support in helping survivors to heal from their traumas and find their God-given purpose. Sincerely, Lisa Heth
Pathfinder Center, Executive Director |
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Pathfinder Center is a 501c3 non-profit and all donations are tax-deductible. Please consider donating to help a survivor in need. Donations can be made online through our website at www.pathfindercenter.org/donations or by a check mailed to Pathfinder Center, PO Box 49, Fort Thompson, SD 57339. Thank You! |
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We are a 501c3 non-profit organization. Donations are deductible as allowed by IRS law. |
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Ask your friends and family to subscribe to our Newsletter. |
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