Mistaking Sextortion for “Hooking Up” Published Sept. 19, 2016 By 628th & 315th Wing Legal Office Joint Base Charleston Legal Office “Hey! What’s up?” “Hot profile pic! Want to chat?” You may have received messages like this before, and if you have not, then there is a possibility you could. Messages like this might prompt you to send “personal” pictures to this person you have never met, setting yourself up for heartache and potentially sextortion. Although, legally there is no such term as sextortion, the cyber crime has become increasingly common and, because of its serious nature, prosecuted under other state and federal laws, such as stalking, extortion, and computer fraud. Sextortion occurs when a perpetrator seduces a victim into engaging in online sexual activities and the victim’s sexual activities, whether they be explicit photos or videos, are used against him or her in threats by the perpetrator. Typically, the threats are to expose the private material unless the victim provides sexual favors, pays a specific sum of money, or continues to keep providing the perpetrator with the images of sexual nature. Texting and social media are two common ways for individuals to fall victim to sextortion, along with the cyber security issue of a perpetrator hacking into an individual’s computer. However, for purposes of this article - as it regards to the issue of sextortion in the military setting - we will focus on texting and social media. Similar to the phrase, “Don’t say anything you wouldn’t want posted on the front page of the newspaper,” do not send anything via text, or other form of messaging, that you would be ashamed for others to see. At some point or another, most of us have heard that it is wise to think before we act. The crime of sextortion can be prevented, at least through outlets where the victim has to participate, by thinking before acting. Awareness is key, so now that you know what sextortion is, let it be part of your thought process before making your next move (in more than one sense of the word). For instance, here is a scenario that will shed light on how easy it is to become a victim of sextortion: Victor Victim, a service member, out of the blue receives a friend request on Facebook from Hot Hannah. He accepts the friend request and immediately receives a Facebook message from Hot Hannah saying, “Hi Cutie! Thanks for the add! How are you?” Victor Victim replies to her message and they continue to message each other through Facebook, until they exchange phone numbers. Victor Victim and Hot Hannah begin texting each other and sending each other explicit photos and videos. Once she (or it might actually be a he) has Victor Victim in her trap, Hot Hannah reveals to Victor Victim that she is really Peter Perpetrator and if Victor Victim does not pay him $1,000, then he is going to send Victor Victim’s explicit photos and videos to his family, friends and command. Here, Victor Victim easily fell into Peter Perpetrator’s trap. He did not know “Hot Hannah” and not only accepted her friend request, but messaged her on Facebook and through texts. Having never met “Hot Hannah”, Victor Victim sent explicit photos and videos. Once messages like this are sent, they are no longer private or under your immediate control. Service members are attractive targets to perpetrators like Peter, in the above scenario. Reasons for this include their steady income – perpetrators know that most service members are more financially stable than civilians. Also, because service members are away from home, they usually are active online, with viewable profile information. Another reason service members are easy targets is simply because they are in the military. The military holds its members to high standards of conduct, therefore, giving the perpetrator the power of threatening to harm or cause the service member to potentially lose their career. Because sextortion is a growing issue, you may at some point be targeted. If you become suspicious of such activity, you should immediately discontinue any and all types of communication with the perpetrator. Contact your command and your local AFOSI office, letting them know that you suspect you have been targeted. Even if you have already sent them private material, do not submit any payment to the perpetrator. One reason for this is because the perpetrator often times will demand additional money. You also want to make sure you save all communications and messages with the perpetrator. Ultimately, you should refrain from engaging in sexually explicit activities online or through text messaging. This includes exchanging explicit photos or videos or performing sexual acts over webcams, which can be recorded. When you receive a friend request from someone you do not know, exercise caution and trust your instincts. Do not mistake sextortion for a chance to “hook up” with someone new and unknown.