Police are noting an "alarming rise" in online exploitation cases, and the Greater Victoria Child Exploitation Team (GVICE) is asking youth and their guardians to be on the lookout for suspicious activity.
“With children being in the online world at an increased rate and younger age than before, offences of exploitation unfortunately continue to rise,” said Kevin Hackett, deputy chief of Central Saanich Police Service, in a news release. “As we approach the summer holidays, we would like to remind everyone and especially youth, that the sharing of intimate photos online is extremely risky and can lead to unintended further distribution and exploitation.”
GVICE has several tips for youth: don’t share personal information online; avoid discussing sex or sharing images they wouldn’t want the world to see; use privacy settings on social media; turn off location services; and only accept friend or follow requests from people they know.
Police advise guardians and caretakers to approach the conversation of online activity casually with kids, so the topic becomes a regular part of conversations at home.
They also recommend keeping devices in busy family areas and out of bedrooms at night; to talk about potential risks and ensure youth feel comfortable coming forward regarding suspicious activity; to set strong privacy settings on all online platforms; to implement age-appropriate parental controls; to monitor their child's online activity; and to help children develop critical thinking skills to recognize and avoid potential scams, phishing attempts, and other online threats.
According to Statistics Canada, in 2022, police-reported extortion cases in Canada rose by nearly 300 per cent compared to the previous decade. More than 100,000 reports were received at the National Child Exploitation Crime Centre from 2023 to 2024, which include sextortion, child luring and the creation or distribution of sexually explicit images of minors.
The GVICE team works to identify offenders and advance charges, as well as deliver community outreach and education to prevent online child exploitation and support victims affected by these crimes.
