More than 16,000 cases of child online sextortion reported in B.C.this year

More than 16,000 cases of online child sextortion have been reported in BC this year. In the wake of the recent suicide of a 12-year-old boy in Prince George, police and children's advocates are urging parents and caregivers to talk to their children. Carson Cleland's parents say he was a victim of sextortion, and according to police, such cases are on the rise.

The BC RCMP's Integrated Child Exploitation, or ICE, unit says more than 8,000 cases were referred to them by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2022.

In 2023 this number has doubled to 16000 cases. Signy Arnason of the Canadian Center for Child Protection says that they are facing a public health emergency right now. According to BC's Attorney General, the province has introduced the Intimate Image Protection Act to try to prevent online sextortion.