AURORA | Police are investigating multiple Instagram accounts suspected of exploiting Aurora students and asking for money in exchange for removing sexually explicit photos.
The student-run newspaper at Rangeview High School Raider Review newspaper published a report Wednesday about multiple Instagram accounts posting explicit photos of minors and adults, some of which might have been be generated with AI, without their consent.
The newspaper reported that this affected at least a dozen Rangeview students, but it also affected students in different school districts.
Aurora Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit is leading the investigation, according to APD spokesperson Joe Moylan. They are working with school resource officers and school districts.
Moylan said that the department is still early in the investigation and is gathering information. He was unable to provide an estimate on how many students were affected by the newspaper report.
“Right now, we are working to identify as many victims as we can, as well as any other students who have been contacted by suspect accounts. Several students have already shared information about the suspect accounts and we are working with the platforms to identify the owner or owners,” he said.
The Raider Review story stated that Instagram accounts asked victims for anywhere from $5-$25 to remove the images.
One of the accounts solicited $10 payments in exchange for uncensored photos, according to the Raider Review story.
The high-school newspaper’s report did not include the usernames of the Instagram accounts.
Aurora Public Schools did not immediately respond to The Sentinel’s request for comment.
Moylan said that anyone who has been contacted by the Instagram accounts or victimized by the accounts should contact the police department directly.
The non-emergency number for APD is 303-627-3100.
People may also contact Safe2Tell. Their phone number is 1-877-542-7233. Anonymous reports can also be made on their website.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Center for Missing, Homeland Security Investigations and Exploited Children and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania issued a joint press statement in December regarding the “alarming increase in the online exploitation of children and teens.”
Federal officials said a wave of exploitation threats have led to a surge in suicides, primarily among teenage boys.
FBI says sextortion begins when an adult contacts a minor on an online platform used to meet and communicate, such as a game, app, or social media account. The predator, posing as a young girl, convinces a young male, usually 14 to 17 years old, to engage in explicit activity over video, which is then secretly recorded by the scammer.
The scammer then reveals that they have made the recordings and attempts to extort the victim for money, threatening the victim to pay or have the explicit photos or videos posted online, the news release said.
The coercion of a child by an adult to produce what is considered child sexual abuse material carries penalties which can include up to a life sentence. The FBI says children should tell someone, typically a parent, teacher, caregiver or law enforcement.
“The shame, fear, and confusion that victims experience when they are caught in this cycle often prevents them from asking for help or reporting the abuse,” the press statement said.
If you or someone you know is thinking of suicide, call the national suicide hotline at 988. The Colorado Crisis Hotline is also available at 1-844-493-825. They can also be reached through text messages by texting “talk” to 38255.
— Past Associated Press reports contributed to this story.
Great reporting by a STUDENT newspaper!