Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office says reports of online child sexual exploitation are on the rise.
Cyber Crime Specialist Christine Feller says they are expecting to see a 16% increase in reports this year. And while most involve adults abusing children, kids are also posting inappropriate content on Instagram and SnapChat.
“There’s an increase in sexting at elementary age. We saw youth that was self-exploring getting in front of Google or YouTube. So having those conversations with our kids of what we should and shouldn’t take pictures and video’s of an what goes on the internet.”
Feller says there are also some red flags.
“Red flags could include someone asking you to be their boyfriend or girlfriend online. Someone asking you to make a new account, possibly on a messenger add. Or someone telling you not to tell anyone that you are talking to them.”
Feller says they’re also seeing more viral content, where people share material online that contains child sexual abuse in an attempt to raise public awareness on social media.
