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MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WXOW) – The FBI’s Milwaukee Field Office is warning parents and guardians about a concerning increase in online predators targeting children across Wisconsin and the United States.
These predators use tactics described as Sadistic Online Exploitation, according to Special Agent in Charge Alan Karr. The networks are referred to colloquially as “764.”
The predators seek out children through mobile messaging apps, social media and gaming platforms. After identifying a potential target, they methodically attempt to befriend victims through a grooming process that often includes establishing a trusting or romantic relationship.
“The goal of the relationship is to allow the predator to manipulate and threaten the child into producing and sharing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), acts of animal cruelty, self-harm, or violence,” Karr said in the release.
The FBI said not all predators follow the same ideology, but they all seek out young people. Predators may be engaging in criminal activity for sexual gratification, social status, a sense of belonging or for a mix of other reasons.
Potential signs of victimization include sudden behavior changes such as becoming withdrawn, moody or irritable. Other warning signs include changes in appearance, signs of animal cruelty, unexplained harm to younger siblings and threatening to commit suicide.
Physical indicators include scars in patterns, fresh cuts, scratches, bruises, bite marks, burns or other wounds. Parents should also watch for reports of personally identifying information being posted online for victimization and sudden unexplained gifts or packages arriving for the child.
The FBI recommends parents monitor their child’s online activities and make use of parental controls. Parents should exercise discretion when posting personal information, videos and photos online, especially content that includes information about children.
Families should talk to children about the risks of sharing personal information, images and videos online. The FBI also recommends exercising caution when accepting friend requests, engaging in video calls and sending images to individuals not known personally.
Anyone who is a victim of a crime using these tactics should retain all information from the incident such as usernames, email addresses, websites and names of platforms used. Victims should immediately report it to 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov, or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
Anyone who feels they are in imminent danger should contact local law enforcement immediately.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provides a free service known as Take It Down, which helps minor victims or adults who were victimized as minors with removing or stopping the online sharing of nude and sexually explicit content taken while under 18 years old.
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