Teen 'Sextortion' on the Rise

Sexting isn't the only thing parents have to worry about these days: "Sextortion" is on the rise, and it's pretty ugly. Federal prosecutors say they're seeing an uptick in cases of online sexual extortion, in which teens who reveal their bodies via the Internet are then contacted by pornographers who threaten to send the images to friends and family unless the teens pose for more explicit porn, creating a vicious cycle of exploitation.

In one recent case, three teens with a webcam flashed their boobs while visiting an Internet chatroom; one of the girls was then contacted by a stranger who said he'd share the photos with her MySpace friends unless she sent him more racy photos and videos; she complied. A 19-year-old Maryland man was ultimately indicted on charges of sexual exploitation, and admitted to "sextorting" about 10 other teen girls. Though no one currently tracks the number of cases involving sextortion, the AP points to three other recent high-profile examples. (One of which Newser covered; click here for more.)