The on-line youngster intercourse predators our police cannot catch…surprising scale of children focused in sextortion scams is revealed

The scale of Scots children targeted in sextortion scams can be revealed amid shocking figures that show more than 90 per cent of the ‘sickening’ crimes go unsolved.

The deceitful schemes see victims – mainly young men – enticed into sending explicit photos or videos to someone who has befriended them online by pretending to be someone else.

Once they have secured intimate images, the criminals reveal their true intentions and order their victims to send them money to prevent the images being forwarded to friends and family.

Police Scotland figures obtained by the Mail show more than 200 children under the age of 16 were the victims of the crime of threats and extortion in less than 18 months with a further 329 victims aged 16 to 18.

The force has repeatedly said that crimes of a sexual nature make up the majority of all extortion reports.

Worryingly, the new statistics show the detection rate for this type of crime is less than 10 per cent, meaning the vast majority go unsolved.

The tragic impact the crimes can have was brought into sharp focus last year when it emerged one terrified teenage victim had taken his own life.

Tragic schoolboy Murray Dowey, 16, from Dunblane, Perthshire, committed suicide in December 2023 after being tormented by criminals in a sextortion scam.

Children all over Scotland are at risk of sextortion scams online

Scottish Conservative shadow minister for children and young people Roz McCall said: ‘These figures are truly terrifying for parents and young people.

‘Sextortion is a sickening, and growing, crime that destroys lives, so it is deeply alarming that so few offenders are being brought to justice.

‘SNP ministers need to work closely with our justice system to ensure they have the resources to combat these threats and punish offenders.

‘That includes investing in technology to identify those anonymous criminals blackmailing young victims. These vile predators need to know that Police Scotland – which is stretched to breaking point by SNP cuts – has the resources to come after them.’

Last year, Police Scotland recorded 1,759 crimes of threats and extortion – of which just 143 were detected. Between January and May of this year a further 731 of the crimes were recorded, with 43 detected.

Of the crimes committed last year, 141 victims were children under the age of 16, with a further 81 youngsters of the same age targeted up to and including May of this year.

A further 225 youngsters aged 16 to 18 were targeted last year and a further 104 of that same age so far this year. The remaining victims were all aged over 18.

The predominantly online nature of the crime means the perpetrators targeting Scots are usually based abroad or manage to disguise their location entirely.

Previous analysis showed 56 per cent of the criminals were ‘outside of Scotland’ while the location of a further 37 per cent was ‘unknown’.

Murray Dowey was a happy teenager before he was targeted by online

One group of cybercriminals, the Nigeria-based ‘Yahoo Boys’, are thought to have extorted thousands from British teenagers.

Earlier this year, a shocking example of the ages of some victims emerged when parents of pupils at a Scots school were told an eight-year-old girl had been targeted in a sextortion scam.

Police Scotland said keeping young people and the wider public safe remains an absolute priority and it will continue to work with a wide range of partners to raise the awareness of sextortion and its ‘harmful consequences.

The force also said its business plan includes the creation of a Cyber and Fraud command, which will help tackle the issue.

Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston said: ‘Sextortion can be committed by individuals however, organised crime gangs based overseas are often responsible, which can make it a more difficult crime to detect.’

He also urged victims ‘not to panic or pay’ or be embarrassed to report the crime to police, a parent, guardian, teacher, or someone they trust.

He added: ‘Our officers are committed to conducting a thorough investigation to identify those responsible and will ensure that they are reported to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.’