QUANTICO, Va. –
Children of Navy and Marine Corps families using online applications and games could be targets for recruitment or exploitation by networks promoting racially- or ethnically-motivated extremism and child sexual abuse material.
Sextortion is a form of child sexual exploitation where children are threatened or blackmailed, most often with the possibility of sharing with the public nude or sexual images of them, by a person who demands additional sexual content, sexual activity or money from the child.
This crime may happen when a child has shared an image with someone they thought they knew or trusted, but in many cases, they are targeted by an individual they met online who obtained a sexual image from the child through deceit, coercion, or some other method. In many cases, the blackmailers may have stolen or taken images of another person and they are communicating through a fake account. The blackmailer may have sent images as well to the child.
Racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist groups (RMVE) are known to utilize common social media and gaming applications employing tactics such as grooming, posing as another child, or offering mental health support to lure victims and coerce them into performing brutal and grotesque acts. The acts are either captured through a livestream or on video, allowing others who never interact first-hand with the victim to acquire the footage. Victims are most commonly coerced into performing sexual/incestual acts, animal abuse, self-harm/mutilation, or suicidal attempts.
Victims tend to be targeted for their minority status, such as sexual orientation, race, or ethnicity, and tend to be females between the ages of 5 and 17. Children of military families are particularly vulnerable for targeting by these groups because their frequent moves tend to leave them more socially isolated than their civilian peers.
One network in particular, “764,” has methodically targeted and exploited minors and other vulnerable individuals. 764 is a network of nihilistic violent extremists seeking to destroy civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of its most vulnerable populations, according to an affidavit from a recent prosecution in the District of Columbia.
Members of the network host forums promoting violence against children, participate in the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material, and facilitate the grooming, manipulation and extortion of minors. Some of their tactics include blackmail and threatening behavior; whether it is to expose private information about the victim, their family or friends, or the threat of physical harm to the victim or their loved ones.
Red FlagsAccording to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, there are a number of warning signs that could indicate someone is trying to groom or coerce a child.
Parents are encouraged to discuss with their child the red flags posed by these individuals:
• Flattering the child
• Sending the child gifts, like cell phones or money
• Discussing adult subjects, like sex, with the child
• Asking the child to keep secrets, such as not telling anyone about the relationship
• Turning the child against their family and friends – they want the child to depend on them
• Sharing or asking for revealing images from the child
• Blackmailing the child. If the child shares revealing images or secrets with someone, they may threaten to make them public unless the child sends more content or money. Paying the money and sending additional content rarely stops the blackmailing. The blackmailer could continue to ask for more. Most times payment of money or additional content does not ensure that the images or videos won’t be spread online. The blackmailer can’t be trusted. Instead, the child should tell an adult they trust and/or report it to NCMEC immediately so they can help report it to law enforcement.
Indicators for parents include:
• Child receives gifts through the mail, such as cell phones, gift cards, and webcams.
• Child is calling unknown numbers.
• Child is rejecting family and friends in favor of spending time online.
• Child is getting upset when he or she can’t get online.
• Child minimizes the screen or turning off the monitor when a parent comes into the room.
ResourcesParents are urged to submit suspicious activity information by utilizing the Tips application on the NCIS webpage at
https://www.ncis.navy.mil. If there are instances where child sexual exploitation is suspected, DON personnel can also contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE LOST or
www.cybertipline.org.
NCIS can also provide the NCMEC Take It Down resource to help individuals remove or stop the online sharing of nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit images or videos taken of them when they were under 18 years old. Individuals may also visit
https://takeitdown.ncmec.org/ to learn more or access the service.
KidSmartz is a child safety program that educates families about preventing abduction and empowers children in grades K-5 to practice safer behaviors. This program offers resources to help parents, caregivers, and teachers protect children by teaching and practicing the Four Rules of Personal Safety using classroom lessons, at-home lessons, parent tips, and fun printable activities.
NCIS encourages parents to learn more about prevention and safer behaviors/practices by visiting
https://www.missingkids.org/education/kidsmartz.
NetSmartz is an online safety education program that provides age-appropriate videos and activities to help teach children to be safer online with the goal of helping children to become more aware of potential online risks and empowering them to help prevent victimization by making safer choices on- and offline.
No Escape Room is an interactive film that confronts the dark realities of financial sextortion. It helps empower and protect kids to make safer choices online. Watch the film at
https://www.noescaperoom.org.
NCIS encourages parents to increase children’s awareness about safer online practices by reviewing age-appropriate videos and activities found here:
https://www.missingkids.org/netsmartz/home.
How NCIS HelpsNCIS is specifically charged with investigating special victim crimes such as child sexual abuse and exploitation, adult sexual abuse, child physical abuse, and felony domestic and intimate partner violence. The agency established the NCIS Family and Sexual Violence Program in 1996 and maintains a specialized unit that investigates these crimes at each of its geographical field offices. The program’s primary goal is to prevent and reduce sexual and family violence within the Department of the Navy in an effort to maintain operational readiness.
NCIS partnered with other military criminal investigative organizations in 2023 to form the Armed Forces Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force to investigate, prosecute, and prevent online exploitation and child sexual abuse. In 2024, the task force processed more than 385 reports submitted through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Cyber Tip Line.
The ICAC Task Force is a national network of 61 coordinated task forces representing more than 5,400 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies dedicated to investigating and prosecuting internet crimes against children, and developing effective responses to those crimes.