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In a classroom at Westwood Intermediate and Middle School, the conversation was not about homework or test scores. It was about survival in a digital world.
The Blaine Police Department recently brought its fight against sextortion directly to students and parents, with Victim Services Specialist Andrea Donaldson and School Resource Officer Pohlman leading a prevention program that reflects a rapidly intensifying national crisis.
A Crime Moving at the Speed of Wi-Fi
Federal authorities describe financial sextortion as one of the fastest growing threats to minors online. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has warned of a sharp rise in cases involving teenage victims, particularly boys between the ages of 14 and 17, who are targeted for money after being manipulated into sharing explicit images. In public safety alerts, the FBI has documented thousands of reports nationwide in recent years, with some cases escalating to severe emotional trauma and suicide.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, which operates the CyberTipline, has likewise reported sustained increases in online enticement and sextortion complaints involving minors. The scale of the problem has forced local police departments, including Blaine’s, to rethink prevention as urgently as enforcement.
The Anatomy of a Sextortion Scam
During the Westwood presentation, Donaldson and Pohlman walked families through the mechanics of a typical sextortion scheme. The pattern is often swift and methodical.
Targeting: Offenders create fake or “spoofed” profiles on social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, or gaming applications. They pose as peers or romantic interests to gain trust.
Grooming: Conversations quickly move from public forums to private messaging apps. The goal is isolation and speed, before a young person has time to question the interaction.
The Request: Once rapport is established, the perpetrator pressures the victim to send an explicit photo or video. In some cases, scammers use artificial intelligence tools to fabricate convincing “deepfake” images drawn from publicly available photos.
The Threat: Immediately after obtaining or fabricating the image, the scammer demands money. Threats often include sending the image to the victim’s followers, classmates, or family members. Payments are typically requested through gift cards, cryptocurrency, or peer to peer payment apps.
The speed is intentional. Fear is the weapon.
Red Flags Families Should Know
Blaine officers emphasized that awareness can interrupt the cycle before it turns criminal.
Parents and students were urged to watch for warning signs:
- An online “friend” who claims to live far away yet pushes for rapid emotional intimacy.
- A sudden insistence on moving a conversation off a gaming platform or public feed to a private or encrypted app.
- Any request for money, gift cards, or crypto from someone known only online.
According to federal investigators, paying rarely stops the harassment. It often escalates it.
What To Do If Targeted
Law enforcement agencies provide clear guidance for victims:
Stop communication immediately. Do not send money or additional images.
Preserve evidence. Take screenshots of messages, profiles, and payment demands.
Report the incident.
Victims can contact local police, including the Blaine Police Department, file a complaint through the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov, or report to the CyberTipline operated by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1 800 843 5678.
NCMEC also operates Take It Down, a free online tool that helps remove or prevent the sharing of explicit images of minors.
Equally important, officers stressed, is emotional support. Sextortion can leave victims feeling isolated and ashamed. Law enforcement and child protection advocates consistently emphasize that the responsibility lies with the offender, not the child.
Prevention as Public Safety
For Blaine police, the classroom presentation represents a broader philosophy. Prevention is not a side effort. It is frontline work.
By placing trusted officers inside schools and equipping families with concrete tools, the department aims to disrupt exploitation before it unfolds. The presence of a Victim Services Specialist underscores that the response is not solely investigative but restorative.
Schools, PTAs, and civic groups in Blaine interested in hosting a sextortion prevention presentation can contact BPD Community Outreach at communityoutreach@blainemn.gov.
In an era when adolescence plays out as much on screens as in hallways, the message delivered at Westwood was both urgent and clear. Awareness is protection. Silence is the predator’s ally. Education is the shield.
