Federal Bureau of Investigation New York intelligence analyst Chris Travis noticed a pattern of sexual predators using online gaming as a method to contact and groom young people. It hit home when Travis realized his own young son (who loves to play video games) was potentially being exposed to this behavior.
The analyst says the subjects would initially contact kids through online chats and then get them to move their communication over to another social media platform for more access.
Special Agent Pao Fisher said suspects explained they would usually pose as a child of similar age and would then pressure kids to send photos, possibly innocent ones at first, but escalating into more compromising images, the FBI reports. The suspects would then threaten to tell the victim’s parents or post the questionable photos online.
While there may not be a way to completely protect kids…
