HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — A new series released every Monday in the month of April aims to educate parents on starting an open dialogue about sexploitation and ways they can prevent more children from becoming victims. "Together, we can create that shield of protection around our children and ensure their well-being," U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona shares. "It offers resources from a variety of people familiar with sextortion and the impact the individuals have under victims of this crime. The presenters will include leaders from multiple federal, state and local agencies, and parents will learn how to start that dialog about sextortion with their child and how to best respond to a child who comes forward to report sextortion.
Child sexplotation cases might be higher than what's reported and because there is a state, but not a federal, statute on sextortion, federal prosecutors have to use different tools in their cases. "It's more prevalent than we probably even know because it requires reports. In order for us to prosecute, we have to know about it, and it requires reporting and a lot of times it goes unreported by the child victims and also their families," Escalona shares. "So, we might use a child pornography statute, we might use charges that our own child exploitation or enticement or just general extortion and cobble something together. The good news is that those statutes are very strong at the federal level, and we have wonderful prosecutors in my office...they are able to get significant sentences, for instance, 50-year type sentences in federal facilities."
National Children’s Advocacy Center Chief Executive Officer Chris Newlin shares the effect these crimes have on victims. So unfortunately, when we're talking about child sexual abuse material or images that are being shared is once those leave, you can never get that toothpaste back in the tube," Newlin shares. "And so that creates ongoing victimization theoretically for individuals once that image is out. So, people who say this is a victimless crime are just completely ridiculous. In fact, what we know is that kids oftentimes have experienced this type of thing and have some of the higher trauma impacts."
He also explains the importance of this series. "We all would like to think it would never happen, but that's what everybody thinks before it does happen," Newlin shares. "So better to be prepared, better to have some information and be aware of what is actually a really serious public health threat. Children are being exploited. They're being manipulated online and then that's causing a whole spiraling of issues."
The National Children’s Advocacy Center offers resources to victims to help the healing process. "What's available at the National Children's Advocacy Center, we provide evidence based mental health services for children who experience this exact type thing," Newlin explains. "it's a process of healing and recovery. That's very possible. This does not mean that a child's life is ruined forever. Unfortunately, these things happen, but the kids can also recover."