Opal Singleton of millionkids.org gave a presentation on the dangers of “sextortion,” the intersection of social media, child predation, and extortion for financial gain, at a recent SBPD town hall event. The Police and Parenting Town Hall was held Wednesday, Nov. 5, at McGaugh Elementary in the school’s media center. The event was not video-recorded. SBPD Lt. Julia Clasby spoke briefly before and after the presentation. Though present, Capt. Nick Nicholas (wearing civilian clothes) did not speak. SBPD facility dog Yosa was there. During the meeting, Yosa visited some of the adults in the audience.
“Nobody sat down and said this is how it’s going to work,” Singleton said, referring to the internet.
According to one of her slides, 68% of the population is now online. She said kids can reach the enter world—and the entire world can reach them.
Singleton said most applications use geo-location software. She said there was a plethora of personal information online.
Zillow, one example she gave, shows the location of your home.
She said A.I. created a new kind of online exploitation: sextortion.
(Later, Singleton defined “sextortion” as blackmail using photos, videos, live streaming, hacking or deep fakes (using artificial intelligence).
According to Singleton, “nudify sites” allow the creation of deep fakes. She said there were three lawsuits over deep fakes filed by parents whose children committed suicide over the images.
She said end users were getting younger and younger.
Singleton encouraged parents to have in-depth conversations with their children.
Indicators of a predator:
• They move from one app to another
• Ask your child to keep their online relationship a secret
• They make demands.
• They want to meet in person.
• They threaten to harm themselves.
According to Singleton, Thorn research 59% minors reported potentially harmful experiences online. (Thorn, a nonprofit developing technology and using research to fight child sexual abuse, issued the report in 2023. According to Thorn, they surveyed 1,040 minors aged 9-17.)
Singleton urged parents to talk about values as well as the law with their children.
According to Singleton, predators target children where they play.
She recommended parents get Bark or Cyber Drive phones, which provide parental controls for children’s phone/online activities.
Singleton said predators collect images to buy, sell, or trade.
She said more cases are ending in violence.
Singleton advised kids should never meet someone they don’t know.
According to Singleton, romance scams cost the U.S. about $105 million each year.
According to Singleton, 41% of Character AI users will use the AI characters for emotional support.
She said children today live in a tech-driven world.
“We can’t pretend this isn’t happening,” she said.
She said a child with little knowledge of adult sexuality may be at risk without being aware they are at risk.
One of her slides advised parents to make social media contact with their own minors.
Another slide advised parents to make an agreement with their children that if the child is threatened online the child will come to their parents.
“Watch out for cutting,” Singleton said.
She said if you see evidence your child is cutting themselves, stop everything and get that child help.
Another slide said, “With AI, anybody can become a victim of sextortion.”
She advised parents go approach the child in a nonjudgmental way if the child is exploited.
Her next slide said do not alert the predator that you are away of their actions.
Her next slide: Do not delete photos.
Her next slide: Get counseling. The slide advised separate counseling for children and parents.
