Kentucky teen sexually groomed via Instagram by Nigerian scammer posing as younger female, leading to emotional distress and sextortion demand for gift card

Summary

A mother from Crittenden County, Kentucky, shared her experience with sextortion after her child became a victim in September 2023 through Instagram. The perpetrator, who posed as a younger female, sent sexual images and requested the same in return before blackmailing the child for a $50 gaming gift card. The scammer, later identified as being from Nigeria, threatened to share the child’s explicit images with others, including teachers and family members. The incident caused significant emotional distress, leading the mother to seek professional therapy for her child. The FBI reported over 13,000 online financial extortion cases between October 2021 and March 2023, and noted that 38% of teenagers and 23% of children aged 9 to 12 share explicit images online. Kentucky Senate Bill 73, which classifies sextortion as a felony, has been enacted to address such crimes.