Michigan Teen Faces Child Sexual Abuse Charges Linked to Sextortion Case

A Michigan teenage boy is facing charges in what authorities are calling a sextortion case. The 14-year-old is facing multiple charges in the case after allegedly pressuring other teenagers to send sexually illicit images.

According to the Kent County Sheriff's Office via WOOD TV 8, the teenager from Plainfield Township was arrested Monday. Among his charges are three counts of child sexually abusive activity, two counts of using a computer to commit a crime and one count of possession of child sexually abusive material.

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The situation is under an ongoing investigation, but the initial findings suggest the teenage boy used social media to target as many as 17 other teenagers and pressured them into sending sexually graphic images. In this case, it's believed the images would then be used to extort other favors from the victims by threatening to release the images.

Sextortion can be used to either gather more sexually graphic images, financial extortion such as demanding money to prevent releasing the images publically, or other general harassment. Sextortion is most often targeted at teens and can begin with outright threats or relationship catfishing.

From the FBI's official page concerning sextortion:

After the criminals have one or more videos or pictures, they threaten to publish that content, or they threaten violence, to get the victim to produce more images. The shame, fear, and confusion children feel when they are caught in this cycle often prevents them from asking for help or reporting the abuse.

The FBI warns that oftentimes offenders release any images they gather regardless if the demands are met and that there are an alarming number of suicides nationwide linked to sextortion cases.

The Kent County Sheriff's Office told WOODTV 8,

“As law enforcement continues to investigate, it becomes clear that these crimes are not faceless acts from distant locations but can, and do, happen right here within our community. We encourage anyone experiencing pressure to send illicit images or being bullied to contact a trusted adult; whether it’s a parent, teacher, School Resource Officer, or family friend.”

The FBI has many resources for parents and teens alike to recognize sextortion schemes and how to combat them.