Audio Transcript

Mollie Halpern: The FBI has a message for child victims of sextortion: Talk to a trusted adult or law enforcement about what happened.

Sextortion is a federal crime that happens when an adult coerces a child into producing sexually explicit photographs or videos of themselves and sending them over the Internet.

Assistant Section Chief Brian Herrick …

Brian Herrick: When we talked to victims of sextortion, what they tell us is they have feelings of hopelessness. They get into a situation where they've sent a picture of themselves out to a stranger thinking that nothing bad was going to happen. And then what tends to happen is that picture's used against them. And that feeling of hopelessness is what keeps them from contacting someone who can help.

Halpern: The FBI wants victims to know that they are not in trouble.

Herrick: It's the adult that we're going to investigate and bring to justice, and we're going to get victim services to help those teens who are in the situation.

Halpern: Herrick says parents, teachers, and other caregivers should have open and candid discussions with children about appropriate online behavior. With FBI, This Week, I’m Mollie Halpern of the Bureau.