Police in Abbotsford, B.C., held a youth-focused cyber danger seminar on Saturday.
The goal is to educate young people about the dangers of social media and how sharing inappropriate photos can put them into concerning situations.
The presentation is part of the “It’s a No” campaign, which was launched in 2019.
“It’s a program that we developed when we saw the rise of kids in school sending intimate photos of themselves to people they don’t know and people they knew,” AbbyPD Const. Mary Boonstra told Global News.
“We got together with parents and teachers, and we decided to come up with an action plan.”
The plan consists of one main element that kids are encouraged to do when someone asks for an intimate photo — send back an image with the words “It’s a No.”
“We want this to become a global thing, not just a program in Abbotsford,” Boonstra said.
Abbotsford police are encouraging parents to have discussions with their children regarding the dangers of sharing intimate photos and to not shame or punish their children if they do fall for a scheme.
“We want the moms and dads to have those conversations so when it does happen, there is a plan in place and Abbotsford police can help,” Boonstra said.
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More than 200 people signed up for the seminar, police said.
Mounties in B.C. have issued multiple warnings over the last few years of a sharp rise in sextortion crimes.
Investigators say the sextortion scheme typically begins with a suspect initiating a flirtatious online conversation with a youth.
“Once the relationship has been established, the suspect convinces the victim to engage in sexually explicit activities, such as sending a nude photo or videos of themselves,” said Coquitlam RCMP Cpl. Alexa Hodgins.
“Once received, the suspect threatens to distribute the photos or videos to the victim’s family and friends unless payment is received.”
In October 2022, a B.C. judge sentenced Dutch man Aydin Coban to 13 years in prison for the harassment and extortion of B.C. teenager Amanda Todd, crimes that led to her death.
The B.C. judge laid out a series of aggravating factors in the case, including the abuse’s contribution to Amanda’s suicide, her young age, the sophistication and premeditation of Coban’s sexual blackmail scheme, and how widely he distributed pornographic images and videos of the teen.
Just weeks before her death, Amanda created a YouTube video where she silently held up cue cards documenting the torment she suffered and its effect on her life. The video went viral and became a symbol in the fight against online harassment.
The B.C. RCMP also has a webpage for online safety and more information regarding sextortion crimes.
Support is available for those who have been victimized:
- The Department of Justice Victim Services Directory includes a list of support services in your area.
- Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 (toll-free) Available 24/7 or Text CONNECT 686868
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