Tech expert warns of ‘sextortion’ dangers facing BVI’s children

A leading tech expert has sounded the alarm on the increasing risks of ‘sextortion’ targeting young people in the Virgin Islands, a growing issue that has psychological and sociological consequences.

The warning came from Stevez Gomes, a cyber security consultant with over 10 years of experience, who spoke on the Umoja Show about the hidden dangers children face online.

“Sextortion is essentially blackmail,” Gomes explained. “It happens online, involving predators and criminals who manipulate, coerce, and threaten victims.” These individuals, often working in organised crime networks, encourage children to share personal images or videos. Once obtained, the material is used to demand more images, personal information, or even money.

Gomes stressed that sextortion, previously considered rare, surged during the pandemic. According to the Canadian CyberTip statistics mentioned in his discussion, Canada alone sees between seven and 10 reported sextortion cases daily. Similar issues are evident in the United States, where they report tens of thousands of cases annually.

Sociological and psychological impact

The effects of sextortion are not only financial but also deeply psychological, often leading to severe consequences. Sextortion can cause victims to feel intense anxiety, fear, and shame, especially if the predators threaten to release images to family and friends.

“The emotional impact on victims can lead to mental health issues like depression and, tragically, even self-harm or suicide,” Gomes stated. He shared a sobering example of a teenager in the US who took his life just hours after being sextorted through social media.

As sextortion often preys on a child’s sense of shame and fear, many young victims hesitate to speak up, worried about reactions from parents or others. Gomes advised parents and guardians to keep open lines of communication with their children. “Children should feel comfortable telling their parents about any online threats they face,” he noted, adding that judgement-free conversations are essential to prevent young people from feeling trapped by their circumstances.

Evolving tactics and digital ‘stranger danger’

Highlighting predators’ tactics, Gomes explained how criminals establish contact on popular platforms such as Roblox, Discord, and Instagram, where they initially build trust by pretending to be peers. Once a bond is created, they often lure children to secondary messaging platforms with fewer restrictions, where they can make exploitative requests.

“This is like the new ‘stranger danger,’” Gomes said, explaining how young people are groomed through innocent-seeming online games and chat apps. Some predators use advanced technology like deepfakes, creating convincing fake images using artificial intelligence to trap victims further.

Parents were urged to familiarise themselves with their children’s apps, enable screen-time controls, and use privacy settings to monitor activity. Gomes also advised using tools like Apple’s screen time feature and educating children on online privacy.