Red Deer RCMP and Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre warn about online risks of sexual exploitation

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Mounties and CACAC say this is often the point at which sexual images and videos are sent. After receiving these images, the predator demands money to stop them from releasing the images to the victim’s friends and family.

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“We want to encourage youth to never send sexual images. Once they are out there, you have no control over where those photos end up,” said Corporal Mike Evans, with the Red Deer RCMP’s Youth and Community Action Team. “Unfortunately, we often deal with very upset parents and children where images have been sent and then circulated beyond the intended recipient.”

Officials say sexting can have long-term negative consequences, including bullying, isolation, embarrassment, and the development of inappropriate relationships.

Additionally, they state it is illegal for anyone to produce, distribute or possess sexual images of children. Therefore, youth under 18 could face criminal charges if they create or distribute sexual images of themselves, or forward images they have received to others.

The CACAC and RCMP say there are many things children can do to protect themselves from being targeted, including:

• Never add someone they don’t know to your social media
• Use privacy settings to require people to request before following their profile
• Never share personal, identifiable information
• Never send or post explicit imagery or videos

“If you’re a child or youth that has received nude or explicit imagery, it’s okay to come forward to a trusted adult. Don’t panic, don’t respond, and don’t share the imagery or video to other peers,” said Dylan Rambow with the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre.

If someone suspects that a child is being sexually exploited online, or they themselves have been victimized, they can report it to the Red Deer RCMP at 403-406-2200, and to www.cybertip.ca. To learn more about supporting a child or to access support resources, visit the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre website at www.centralalbertacac.ca.