Young boys are tricked into sending nude photos – only to be blackmailed by criminal gangs.
Now the police are warning about the growing phenomenon.
– Some young people feel so incredibly vulnerable and will do anything to prevent this image from spreading, says Louise Åhlén, business developer at the National Operations Department (NOA).
A new form of extortion has emerged over the past year where children and young people are threatened with having nude photos spread – if you don’t pay.
Behind the screens are people connected to criminal networks, who make contact with a peer. When they send a picture of a scantily clad girl or boy, they want a response in the form of a picture back.
– Very shortly after the child sends the picture, the blackmail comes in the form of money. If you don’t pay, they threaten that the pictures will be spread from a class chat, parents or someone close to the child, says Louise Åhlén, business developer at NOA.
“Extreme Dark Speech”
She says that the sums can vary from a few hundred kroner to significantly higher amounts.
– It is a lot about what you think it is worth for the child that the image is not spread. Some young people feel so incredibly vulnerable and will do anything to prevent this image from spreading.
Although an increase in this type of extortion has been seen, according to the police, there is an “extremely dark figure”.
– For example, we can take help from children’s rights organizations who see in their helpline how the children talk about this, but that it does not come to our attention in the form of a report, says Louise Åhlén.
Forced to perform missions for the gangs
According to the police, there are also cases where children have told that they were forced to carry out tasks for the gangs.
– For example, it could be about leaving a backpack somewhere so that the image does not spread.
No report has so far led to a conviction. According to Louise Åhlén, there are several reasons for this.
– One can think about whether extortion is the actual crime. Here, a sexual curiosity is used for financial gain. It is difficult to find the text of the law now that really covers the whole crime, she says and continues:
– Because it is not only blackmail, but it also means that in the long run you will have an obstacle when you have to look for a job.