‘Sextortion’ case prompts police warning

What one Norfolk man thought was an intimate moment shared with a new friend online ended up being blackmail material in what the OPP calls a “sextortion” case.

Police say the victim, 18, began a video chat with an unknown woman who had contacted him via text.

The man “engaged in sexually explicit acts” on camera and then was told that his actions had been recorded. Unless he paid, the video would be shared with his family and friends, along with being posted to social media.

Norfolk County OPP got a call from the victim’s parent shortly after midnight on Thursday reporting the attempted extortion. No money was sent to the alleged blackmailer.

Police are reminding residents to be cautious and vigilant online, especially as video chatting is gaining in popularity due to the pandemic.

“Police are urging all computer users to be aware of the dangers of engaging in online web chats where explicit conversations and photographs are shared. Once it’s out there, you can’t get it back,” said Norfolk OPP Insp. Joseph Varga.

Child threatened during video chat

With kids online more often thanks to school going virtual, police are asking parents to review internet safety rules with their children.

This reminder comes after a 10-year-old in Charlotteville had an alarming encounter with a man on a chat app.

Police say that during the video call, the suspect wore a mask and “threatened the child by running their finger over their throat and then ended the video chat after blowing the child a kiss.” The frightened child told their parents, who called police.

Police suggest parents supervise their child’s online activities, which includes setting rules about household internet use, keeping computers in high-traffic areas of the house, monitoring your child’s passwords and online contacts, and reminding kids that anything posted or broadcast online could live there forever.

J.P. Antonacci’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. The funding allows him to report on stories about the regions of Haldimand and Norfolk.