Teens between 15 & 17 'especially at risk of sextortion,' warn South Yorkshire Police as blackmail cases soar
Teenagers between 15 and 17 are ‘especially at risk of sextortion’ South Yorkshire Police has warned, with blackmail cases rocketing.
Figures obtained through a freedom of information (FOI) request show the number of blackmail offences recorded by the force has increased by over 200 per cent over the last five years.
South Yorkshire Police recorded a total of 259 blackmail offences in 2018/19, compared with the 822 in the 2023/24 financial year.
This represents a rise of 563 incidents, or 217 per cent.
A South Yorkshire Police spokesperson said ‘there are several forms of blackmail to be aware of, including malicious calls, use of deepfake images, and sextortion’.
The FOI also shows that as the number of cases recorded in South Yorkshire have risen, the 11-20 age group has gradually become the worst-affected by blackmail.
In 2018/19, the 11-20 age group was the second most affected, with 50 - or 19 per cent - of the 259 recorded blackmail offences for that year committed against people within that age group.
By 2023/24, the age group was by far the worst affected, with 303 out of the 822 offences recorded against people aged between 11 and 20. This equates to 36.86 of all blackmail offences recorded by the force.
The South Yorkshire Police spokesperson added: “Young people aged between 15 to 17 are especially at risk of sextortion.”
“Sextortion is where criminals threaten to share sexual pictures, videos, or information about their victim.”
When asked about the steep rise in the number of reported blackmail offences, Laura Hough, South Yorkshire Police’s Temporary Head of Economic Crime, said: “We strive to protect the South Yorkshire community from economic exploitation and blackmail, and to bring offenders to justice.
“The increase in the number of reports of blackmail indicates a wider confidence that reports will be thoroughly investigated.
“I would encourage anyone who is a victim of blackmail to get in touch. We will investigate every report. You can report blackmail online or by calling 101.”
The force also shared the following tips for protecting yourself from blackmail online:
- Do not accept anybody on any social media platform that you do not know.
- Ensure your children have strong security and privacy settings on social media.
- Be aware that if someone asks you for explicit photographs or video, this may be done with the intention of blackmailing you by threatening to share them
- Take time to go through your social media contacts and delete people you do not know
You can find more information about the risks children and young people face online here: https://www.southyorkshire.police.uk/police-forces/south-yorkshire-police/areas/campaigns/campaigns/dont-be-exposed/