Online sexual exploitation and abuse is when one person manipulates another person to get them to do something sexual — it’s an ongoing cycle of emotional and psychological abuse. This can include things such as forcing or blackmailing someone into to sending sexual photos/videos of themselves online or to perform sexual acts over webcam. Sexual exploitation and abuse can include any of the following:
  • encourages the child to do sexual things that make them uncomfortable
  • sends the child unwanted nude photos or flashes the child on webcam
  • asks sexual questions about the child or makes inappropriate sexual comments
  • exposes the child to pornography 
  • encourages the child to watch them do sexual things ​
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ONLINE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION
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Recognizing Signs of Online Sexual Exploitation
Knowing the common terms and tactics exploiters use to manipulate people will help adults recognize online sexual exploitation and abuse:​​​​
GROOMING
Grooming is the name given to tactics used by exploiters to gain a victim's trust. They develop a relationship with the youth, often using specific strategies like:
  • complimenting the youth over and over (e.g. “I’ve never met anyone as beautiful as you,” or “I’ve never loved anyone as much as I love you.”)
  • lots of attention and affection
  • lots of kindness
  • gifts
  • money
While some of these may be a part of a healthy relationship, it’s not healthy for the youth to be asked to hide or lie about them to others. 
BLACKMAIL
Blackmail is when someone tries to get the youth to do something for them that they don’t want to do by threatening to hurt them. This includes saying they’ll release sexual photos/videos of the youth unless they do what they want.
BOYFRIENDING/GIRLFRIENDING
Boyfriending/girlfriending is when an exploiter manipulates you a youth into thinking they’re in a relationship with them in order to win their trust. If you’re not sure if the relationship the youth is in is genuine, look for other signs of exploitation and abuse or an unhealthy relationship.
LOVE BOMBING
Love bombing is when an exploiter gives the youth an abundance of compliments and affection to gain their love and trust.
LURING
Luring is when a person uses online communication to contact someone they think is under 18, in order to make it easier for them to commit a sexual offence against that person.
PERSISTENCE
Persistence is when someone keeps asking a youth for something, even when they repeatedly say “no.” 
Using Pity/guilt
An exploiter may try to make the youth feel sorry for them, or guilty about something, in order to make it more likely they’ll do what they want.
SENDING SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MAterial
An exploiter may send the youth unwanted sexually explicit material (pornography, nude photos of themselves, etc.) and try to convince the youth this type of unsolicited sexual behavior is acceptable.
SExtortion
Sextortion is when someone uses a sexual photo/video of you to blackmail or coerce you into doing what they want. For example, they may threaten to share a nude or semi-nude photo of you with your school or post it online unless you:
  • give them money
  • send more sexual photos/videos
  • meet them in person​
Additionally, the following may be warning signs of online sexual abuse or exploitation:
Isolation
  • Spending increasing amounts of time on the internet.
  • Becoming increasingly secretive – particularly around their use of the new technology.
  • Shutting the door and hiding what they have on screen when someone enters the room.
  • Not being able to talk openly about their activity online.
  • Becoming more possessive of their cell phone and concerned if someone else picks it up or wants to look at it.
  •  Agitated behavior when answering their phone and needing to take calls in private.
Social Changes
  • Developing a pattern of leaving the family home for periods of time with no explanation about where they are going.
  • Vague talk of a new friend but offering no further information.
  • Spending increasing amounts of time talking secretly with the new friend online.
  • Not wanting to be alone with a particular adult or young person.
Emotional changes
  • Sudden, unexplained personality changes and mood swings.
  • Outbursts of anger and irritation.
  • Self harming activities.
Source: stopitnow.org
Learning More About Online Sexual Exploitation
Helpful Links
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

​Safe Kids Worldwide

Responding to Online Child Victimization or Exploitation - Child Welfare Information Gateway

​ConnectSafely