SEXUAL IMAGE OF SOMEONE REAL OR FAKE FOR BLACKMAIL. HERE’S THE QUESTION. HOW DOES THIS GROWING TREND IMPACT OUR CHILDREN? OKLAHOMA CITY’S FBI OFFICE NOW SAYS CASES OF SEXTING MISSION HAVE BECOME A PRIORITY. KOCO JASON BURGER WAS THERE AS AGENTS HELD A MEETING TODAY ON HOW CRIMINALS ARE ACTUALLY GETTING BETTER AT COMMITTING THIS CRIME. FBI AGENTS TELL KOCO FIVE CASES OF SEXTORTION ARE ON THE RISE, NOT JUST AROUND THE COUNTRY. HERE IN OKLAHOMA. TO OUR AGENTS HERE HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 50% OF THESE CASES FROM 21 TO 23. CRIMINALS CAN HIDE BEHIND A SCREEN AND A KEYBOARD. AND WHEN WE’RE TOLD THEY’LL USE JUST ABOUT ANY DIGITAL COMMUNICATION PLATFORM TO TARGET KIDS, THE PERPETRATORS IN THESE CASES ARE VERY INNOVATIVE AND THEY’RE VERY PATIENT, AND THEY’LL USE. DIFFERENT PLATFORMS. SO WE’LL USE ALL FORMS OF SOCIAL MEDIA THAT WE USE GAMING APPS. THEY’LL COME AFTER THE KIDS ON PHONES, ON IPADS, ON DESKTOP COMPUTERS. A TOUGH SCENARIO WHEN THERE ARE MULTIPLE WAYS TO DO IT. I CAN’T POINT TO JUST ONE PARTICULAR APP OR ONE PARTICULAR GAME. THE FBI WANTS PARENTS, TEACHERS, POLICE AND KIDS TO ALL BE ON THE SAME PAGE. THEY’RE ENCOURAGING EDUCATION ABOUT THE RISKS OF INTERACTING WITH STRANGERS ONLINE, ESPECIALLY WITH ADVANCEMENTS MADE IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. CRIMINALS CAN USE FAKE EYE IMAGES TO DEMAND MONEY FROM KIDS. A PHOTO OF A CHILD OR THEIR FRIENDS COULD BE PULLED OFF THE INTERNET ON OPEN SOURCE AND THEN MANIPULATED IN SOME WAY TO NOW BE A SEXUALLY EXPLICIT PICTURE. REPORTER BUT THE BIGGEST PREVENTION MEASURE DON’T INTERACT WITH PEOPLE YOU DON’T KNOW AND ACCEPT THEM AT FACE VALUE. IF THEY SAY THEY’RE A, YOU KNOW, A 20 YEAR OLD FEMALE, I MEAN, A LOT OF THESE, UM, PERPETRATORS WILL, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY HIDE THEIR IDENTITY AND LIE ABOUT WHO THEY ARE WHEN TALKING TO CHILDREN ONLINE. THE OKC FBI OFFICE SAYS KIDS WILL NOT GET IN TROUBLE WITH THE LAW IF THEY ARE THE VICTIM OF SEXTORTION, AND IT NEEDS TO BE REPORTED FOR MORE INFO, WE’LL HAVE A LINK ON OUR WEBSITE KOCO DOT COM