Release posted on 08-17-23 at 10:34 a.m.

Today, August 17th, at 10:30 a.m., St. Petersburg Chief of Police Anthony Holloway and FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge David Walker released a joint Public Service Announcement video on the topic of sextortion. It specifically targets a highly vulnerable group of victims: teen boys.

Here is a link to the PSA: Link to PSA

Earlier this year, the St. Petersburg Police Dept. reported seeing a significant increase in cases where victims are befriended on social media and dating apps and asked to share nude photos. Once they send the photos, they are threatened that unless they send money, their photos will be shared with their friends and family.

" We want to raise awareness about sextortion and prevent this from happening. The solution is simple: don't send nude photos. Your image could last a lifetime on the internet," said Holloway, Chief of Police.

The FBI Tampa Field Office is also seeing an increase in sextortion cases, specifically those targeting young males between the ages of 13 and 17.

"If there's one thing I want teens to know it's this: the person asking you for a nude photo is not who you think it is," said FBI Tampa Special Agent in Charge David Walker. "Parents, please have an open and honest conversation with your child about sextortion. Make it clear they are not to blame and will not be in trouble if they've become a victim."

There are numerous resources online to learn more about sextortion:
https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/stop-sextortion-youth-face-risk-online-090319
https://www.missingkids.org/theissues/sextortion

You can view the Sextortion PSA on Twitter @FBITampa @StPetePD and on the Police Department's Facebook and Instagram pages.