Gainesville police, FBI warn against rising internet extortion against minors

It’s not just the apps at the top of parents’ minds: Facebook, Instagram, X, Reddit or Kik.  

Gainesville Police Chief Nelson Moya and FBI Supervisor Matthew Riser warned at a Tuesday press conference that predators are trying to lure children onto gaming and seemingly innocent apps.  

But Moya and Riser said if the platform, app or game has any way for direct communication, it can be used to entrap minors in sextortion, online exploitation and violent online networks that are on the rise nationally.  

“This is a major one that is often under the radar, yet it is massive and extremely dangerous if not under the watchful eye of parents,” Moya said. 

The two law enforcement leaders said cases continue to rise, with artificial intelligence used on both sides, and urged parents and caregivers to be involved in preventing their children from getting hurt by the trend. 

The Gainesville Police Department (GPD) houses the Internet Crimes Against Children taskforce, which gathers and distributes cyber tips for investigation to agencies across North Central Florida.  

GPD said the task force distributed about 100 tips per week in 2020. Now, ICAC receives between 500 and 800 tips weekly. 

Moya said the surge in cases and tips happened rapidly in recent years, rather than rising gradually over time. He said that escalation prompted the warning. 

“Sadly, the work itself is not work that we want to see,” Moya said. “Our folks have to put themselves in those positions to navigate and see the horrific examples of predators going after our kids online.” 

Riser said sextortion can start with an innocuous conversation before evolving over time and resulting in a minor sending photos or videos that can then be used as blackmail. 

He said the FBI is also tracking 500 cases of violent online networks, including in the Gainesville area. Riser said these networks, also called nihilistic violent extremism or 764 networks, operate similar to sextortion but use their blackmail to coerce victims to participate in violent acts—whether against others, themselves or animals.  

Riser said these cases have escalated to the point of suicide and homicide across the nation.  

For parents and guardians, Moya said he takes a no-messaging stance in his house. Even if others set boundaries at different levels, he said some boundaries and knowledge are needed.  

“Children don’t have that expectation of privacy in your home,” Moya said. “Grab those devices. Inspect them. Inspect them randomly and often. Know what your kids are watching. Something as innocent as games appears innocuous but may open them up for potential victimization.” 

Riser said artificial intelligence has changed the landscape, opening the door for AI-generated child pornography that can then be overlaid with the faces of real children. He said it’s new territory that the FBI will aggressively investigate and prosecute these cases with every legal resource.  

“The traditional child pornography arena has evolved now, unfortunately, into a situation where we are seeing artificial intelligence-generated images and using them to exploit children,” Riser said.  

Riser said the FBI wants to tackle the cases while also working on mitigation with local law enforcement and communities.    

Moya said GPD triages the tips based on the complexity, egregiousness of the accusation and access to the accused person. He said it’s a human resources issue as the department works to train staff while also tackling mounting caseloads.  

“We can’t do this ourselves, so we need that force multiplier. We need parents and caretakers to be detectives at home,” Moya said.  

Moya said there’s a time to be a friend to your kids and a time to be a parent, which might mean making decisions that kids disagree with.