The boy was tricked into sending a naked picture of himself to someone via SnapChat, which they threatened to share with his friends unless he paid €1,000
Gardaí are probing a new case of sextortion after a teenager was ordered to pay €1,000 to stop an intimate picture of him being shared online.
The sextortionist then threatened to share the image with all his friends if they didn't get paid. The traumatised child was given two days to come up with the cash last week, but eventually he told his parents, who went straight to the police and reported the incident. A friend of the family said: "This attempt of sextortion caused great distress to this young man and his family. Thankfully, he had the good sense to tell his parents who contacted the gardaí.
"These people, whoever they were, wanted €1,000 off the kid. They are out there professionally doing this every day of the week." The defendants are all being tried under Coco's Law – the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020, which became law in Ireland in February 2021. "Please contact us whether in person or at any Garda station. Don't panic, don't pay, save the evidence, and block all communication with the person targeting you."1. Something does not add up – their online profile is not consistent with what you see and hear when you talk or chat with them.
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