PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Sextortion crimes continue to rise across the Tampa Bay area. A St. Pete detective said it's one of his top priorities to catch these suspects.
Sextortion is when a suspect convinces a person to send inappropriate photos and then threatens to release those photos unless the victim sends money.
It's a crime targeting both children and adults in our area.
Torrie Walters is one of many victims of sextortion.
“If I didn't give him money or if I shorted him, that's when it was 'I'm sending these to your parents. I'm sending these to your kids. What do you think they're gonna say? What do you think they’re going to do.' He did end up sending one picture to my father, which was traumatizing, to say the least,” Walters said.
She explained that the trauma becomes a part of you, and the emotional impact of sextortion weighs on you for years.
Walters's advice is to call the police immediately if you realize you may be a victim of sextortion.
RELATED:- St. Pete Police warn public about increase in 'sextortion' crimes
- Revealing the ID of a sextorter: A woman's quest to unmask her blackmailer and get justice
Detective Henry Snowden with St. Pete PD explained these types of crimes are on the rise targeting both adults and children.
He said it's one of their top priorities to catch the suspects, but because the crime is committed online, it makes the investigation a little trickier.
“When I say that is because a lot of these suspects are clever; they use different names and different pictures. Some of them may not be in the city, some not in the state, some might not even be in the country,” Detective Snowden said.
He said they have caught several suspects and are working hard to find the others. In the meantime, he said to have your guard up when talking to people online.
“Don't give out phone numbers, don't send pictures, don't fall for the trap of being extorted,” Detective Snowden said.
He said a lot of the crimes are committed on Snapchat, dating apps, and gaming platforms.
Natalie Rosado, a local therapist, said to protect your kids, have an open and transparent conversation. Let them know there may be people online using fake photos or pretending to be someone else.
“Start young so children understand these are conversations we can have, and it's safe to talk about these things,” Rosado said.
She said you can also set up parental controls on your kids devices.
If you are a victim of sextortion, contact law enforcement.
Contact Selah Freedom if you need help recovering from a sex crime.