Two teens fall victim to sextortion after sending intimate images online

Online sextortion incidents are on the rise. (CTV News)

Caledon police are investigating two separate sextortion incidents that occurred within the same day.

On Wednesday, officers received one report of a 14-year-old and another report of a 16-year-old who separately fell victim to sextortion. In both cases, police say the teens believed they were engaging in an online chat with a woman and proceeded to send “her” intimate images.

After the images were sent, police allege the teens were threatened to send money in exchange for the suspect not spreading their private images.

Police say they remain committed to ensuring the public is aware of the many potential threats to public and personal safety in the real and virtual world. For anyone finding themselves in a sextortion situation, police encourage people to remember these simple steps:

Stop the chat, take screenshots of the chat and profile, block the account and report it to the platform and report it to Cybertip.ca or police.

“Don’t send any more images, don’t pay, don’t respond to demands, and don’t continue the conversation,” Caledon police said in a statement.

Both investigations remain ongoing. The two investigations are being assisted by the Caledon OPP Major Crime Unit and the OPP Child Sexual Exploitation Unit. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 1-888-310-1122.