On Feb. 11, professor Catherine Earley lectured about sextortion and how to get through it.
Sextortion is when an offender convinces you to send sexually explicit images or videos, and then threatens to show the photos or videos for more sexual imagery or money.
The common age that the offenders go for is originally 14 to 17-year-olds. In the talk, Earley discussed the five steps perpetrators operate.
They start with initial contact. This means they create a fake social media account and pretend to be the same age as the victim. Sometimes, they will use a script to trick the victim.
Next is escalation. The predator will try to move the conversation to a private platform and then prompt you to send them nude photos.
Third, they start threatening to send the photos or videos, demanding compliance. They will even go as far as to provide personal information so you feel pressured to give in. It is important that you do not. Compliance shows you are willing to give them more.
Next, they demand pre-calculated transfers based on what they think the victim can pay.
Once they get what they want, they will move to the next target.
Here are some important red flags to watch out for:
- If an empty or newly created profile follows you, do not follow back.
- If you are talking to someone on social media and then they ask you to suddenly switch to a more “private” platform, run.
- If you feel like you are being love-bombed and pressured, do not give in.
If you notice these signs after something happens, make sure to disengage and preserve evidence. It is important not to fall into any bait that they give you and not delete anything. Every piece of evidence can help you.
If you find yourself in this situation here are the five steps to help yourself.
- Preserve evidence
- Report to campus police and TitleIX office
- File an online report (CyberTipline or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Childred [NCMEC])
- Provide case number to local police
- If needed, escalate to the FBI.
In March 2022, Jordan DeMay age 17, took his own life six hours after sending nudes to someone he thought was a girl his age. They turned out to be Nigerian brothers demanding $1,000.
DeMay could only pay $300 and told the brothers that he would kill himself because he could not pay anymore.
The brothers responded with, “Do it fast or I’ll make you do it. I swear to God.”
DeMay took his life because he thought that killing himself would be the only way out.
If you find yourself in this situation, do not be afraid to reach out to the campus and community support resources. Your action plan should be to report the problem, file with the NCMEC so you can build a case, use “take it down,” call the police and contact your bank.
Campus resources
The TitleIX office: (940)396-4213
Residence Life and Housing: (940)397-442
Campus Police: (940)397-4239
MSU Counseling Center: (940)397-4618
Dean of Students: (940)397-7500
Catherine Earley: ([email protected]) (940)397-4319
