Cases of sextortion — the act of threatening to share someone’s nude or explicit images — are on the rise nationwide, with law enforcement agencies reporting increased incidents targeting teens and young adults through social media and messaging apps.

Between October 2021 and March 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security received over 13,000 reports of financial sextortion targeting minors, involving at least 12,600 victims, 20 suicides, and a 20 percent rise in cases from Oct. 2022 to March 2023 compared to the previous year.

However, people of any age can be victimized.

Johnson County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Kristen Silver said the incidents of sextortion reported in Johnson County tend to be perpetrated by unknown strangers with conversations started on social media or messaging apps.

“The unknown person they are messaging convinces them to send nude photographs of themselves and then extorts them to send more money or photos in order to avoid those photos being distributed to their family, friends, or social media,” Silver said.

Silver also noted that this crime likely happens more than what is reported.

“It most likely occurs more than it’s reported as victims face barriers such as embarrassment, fear of being in trouble, or a feeling of guilt,” Silver said.

University of Iowa Campus Safety Public Information Officer Hayley Bruce said that, as of 2023, the Department of Education classifies sextortion as a stalking offense.

“This continues to have an impact on our data,” Bruce said.

In 2022, Campus Safety reported a total of 100 incidents of stalking, eight of which were attributed to sextortion. In 2023, there were 113 total incidents of stalking, with six cases of sextortion.

On the UI campus, Bruce said this crime often starts when a student thinks they’re talking to someone their age interested in a relationship; the criminal builds trust, convinces them to share photos or videos, and then threatens to expose that content to friends.

Silver said the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office recommends that individuals avoid sending money or any electronic payment to these individuals, as it rarely stops the threats and often leads to more demands.

Instead, they advise cutting off communication, blocking the online profile, and reporting the threats to the platform where they began, as well as to law enforcement.

Bruce added that Campus Safety encourages people to collect evidence such as screenshots, the offender’s username and platform, and any other details, in addition to stopping contact.

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“The most important thing with this type of crime is that they actually report what’s happening,” Bruce said. “We understand that it can be kind of embarrassing to talk about, but we really want students to report this so we can help them stop it.”

Bruce also encouraged students who are victimized by sextortion to prioritize their mental health and utilize support resources.

For campus resources supporting victims, the UI’s former Rape Victim Advocacy Program, also known as RVAP, announced last April that it would close, with services transitioning to the Iowa City nonprofit Domestic Violence Intervention Program, also known as DVIP. DVIP officially took over on Oct. 1.

Alta Medea, director of community engagement at DVIP, said that the organization provides various types of support to victims of sextortion.

“Every case is different. What an individual needs varies,” Medea said. “Obviously, it’s very personal.”

In cases where the victim decides to report the incident to law enforcement, Medea said DVIP provides support by accompanying them to meetings with officers, attorneys, and the district attorney’s office, helping them piece together their experience and guiding them through the legal process as it unfolds.

Medea highlighted that, in addition to the offender being a stranger to the victim, sextortion can happen in the context of intimate partner violence.

“That element of being pressured is pretty great,” Medea said, also noting that the offender may use an intense display of affection and attention — known as love bombing — to manipulate the victim.

Medea encouraged victim-survivors of sextortion to reach out to the DVIP hotline at 800-373-1043. She also noted that DVIP has open hours on campus at the Women’s Resource and Action Center from 3 to 5 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays.

“Certainly getting expert help and navigating your paths to safety and your process is really vital to taking those next steps,” Medea said.