Predation & Exploitation

Online Sexual Predation and Exploitation
 
To be very clear: engaging in the creation, distribution, or consumption of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is illegal. Not only does this content perpetuate sexual violence against children, but it also strips them of their humanity. According to the UK's National Crime Agency, CSAM can be located on the surface web with as few as three clicks through commonly used search engines. Its availability online not only normalizes this abuse but fuels a continued cycle of harm.
 
It’s important to emphasize that the vast majority of pre-teens and teens are doing incredibly positive, creative, and inspiring things online. We need to acknowledge and celebrate this fact. However, while the internet allows youth to connect globally in powerful ways, it also gives predators private and immediate access to children.
 
Defining Key Terms
 
Sexual Exploitation:"When anyone under the age of 18, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, is forced or enticed into sexual activity in exchange for something received by the child and/or the perpetrator or facilitator of the abuse."Source
 
Online Exploitation:"The use of information and communication technology as a means to sexually abuse or exploit children."Source
 
Grooming:The manipulative process that sexual predators use to identify, coerce, and silence their victims.Source
 
CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material):Any digital content—photos, videos, or audio—that depicts the sexual abuse of a child.
 
CSEM (Child Sexual Exploitation Material):Broader than CSAM, this includes any material that sexually exploits children, including text-based conversations used for grooming, luring, or facilitating exploitation.
 
Legislative Update
 
In February 2023, the Canadian House of Commons passed Bill C-291, an Act to amend the Criminal Code of Canada. This bill replaces the outdated and harmful term "child pornography" with the more accurate and trauma-informed term "Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Material." As of this writing, it is before the Senate awaiting final approval.

 
Who Are the Offenders?
 
When it comes to online predation and exploitation, research shows that the majority of offenders are not strangers. In fact, most are individuals whom the child and even the parents know, love, or trust, which can include a peer
 
https://thewhitehatter.ca/blog/how-peer-influence-and-online-culture-can-sometimes-trap-vulnerable-teens-into-exploitation/ 
 
Before COVID-19, one of the strongest studies on this topic showed that only about 11% of youth aged 12–16 reported being approached online by someone they didn’t know. Study

A 2022 U.S. study found that in only 18.7% of online sexual offence cases was the offender a stranger. More alarmingly, 55.5% to 79.5% of offenders were intimate partners, friends, or acquaintances. This further supports why teaching only "stranger danger" is insufficient and outdated. Study
 
In 2024, the Internet Watch Foundation reported that of the 563,590 victims identified in their database, the majority were girls between the ages of 7 and 10. In most cases, the offender was someone the child knew, loved, or trusted.Source
 
Law enforcement in British Columbia noted a 45% anecdotal increase in online luring and predation during the COVID-19 pandemic. As one U.S. Attorney General’s Child Predator Unit put it:
 
“The same number of predators exist; it’s just that their opportunities and tools have changed.”
 
In 2020, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection saw an 80% increase in reports of adults contacting children aged 8–12 to engage in sexual activity via live-streaming platforms.
 
Teen-Reported Experiences
 
To better understand what teens are experiencing, we surveyed our social media followers with the following question:
 
“Have you received an inappropriate sexual message, solicitation, or offer online from someone you did not know, since school was shut down due to COVID?”
 
Out of 296 teen responses:
 

• 27% (79) said "Yes"

 

• 73% (217) said "No"

 
While anecdotal, these responses provide a valuable snapshot of teen experiences during a particularly vulnerable time.
 
 

High-Risk Youth Groups
 
THORN, a nonprofit organization that builds technology to protect children from sexual abuse, has identified six youth populations more vulnerable to online sexual predation. We’ve added a seventh based on our experience:
 

• Youth in government care or foster care

​

• Youth with substance dependency

​

• LGBTQ-identified youth

​

• Youth who are homeless

​

• Youth with emotional, psychological, or physical disabilities

​

• Youth who have run away from home

​

• First Nations youth

 

These youth often face instability, financial challenges, and a desire for connection—factors that predators exploit. A case that exemplifies this was British Columbia’s first human trafficking conviction of Reza Moazami, who targeted vulnerable girls.Read more
 
Grooming Tactics and Offender Typologies
 
Sexual predators are often highly manipulative and methodical. They study their targets, adapting their online personas to align with a youth’s interests and vulnerabilities. Many are technologically savvy, sometimes with professional careers and outwardly "normal" lives.
Predators frequently initiate contact through popular apps, social media platforms, or online games. Once rapport is established, they slowly escalate conversations to be more personal and private—often moving from public platforms to direct messages, email, or encrypted chats. This is known as "off-platforming."
 
They may begin grooming with flattery, compliments, or offers of friendship, and gradually introduce more sexual content or coercive behaviour. Gifts, gaming codes, or small amounts of money might be offered to gain trust and build dependence.
 
Offenders are especially skilled at identifying and preying on youth who have minimal supervision, spend time alone online, or post content that indicates vulnerability—whether emotional or situational. Many predators do not hide their age, using honesty to disarm suspicion and position themselves as mentors or older confidants.
 
Offender Typologies
 
To better understand the variety of threats, it’s important to recognize the different types of offenders and their motivations. Here are four common typologies:
 
1. Collectors
These individuals collect CSAM without necessarily intending to have direct contact with a child. Their goal is to amass content for personal use and often share it with others in online forums.
 
2. Travelers (Contact-Driven Predators)
These predators will go to great lengths—including traveling long distances—to meet a child in person and engage in sexual activity. They are typically more calculated and may spend months grooming a target online before arranging a meeting.
 
3. Manufacturers
These individuals create, distribute, and sometimes sell CSAM. While many do it for personal gratification, some are financially motivated and operate in hidden online networks. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an estimated 47 million known CSAM images exist in circulation globally.
 
4. Chatters (Fantasy-Driven Predators)
These offenders often do not seek in-person contact. Instead, they engage in sexually explicit chats or role-play scenarios online. While they may never meet their victims in real life, the psychological damage they cause can be just as profound.
 
Sexualized Child Abusers and Exploiters

Not all offenders are clinically diagnosed as pedophiles. Many individuals who sexually exploit children are opportunistic, impulsive, or driven by power, anger, or control. These offenders may target youth not because of a sexual preference for children, but because they see an opportunity to manipulate someone vulnerable.
 
This category often includes individuals in positions of trust or authority: parents, teachers, coaches, clergy, and others. Their offenses are frequently situational and driven by the perceived ability to get away with it. These abusers might:
 

• Act out of emotional instability or lack of boundaries

 

• Exploit a youth’s vulnerability due to instability at home

 

• Rationalize their actions as mentorship or guidance

 
 
Commercial exploiters such as pimps also fall into this category. They may not be sexually attracted to children but will still manipulate and abuse youth to generate income through the sexualized online economy. As sexual assault nurse expert Heidi Olson stated:
 
“These traffickers are not thugs; they have a strategic business model. Pimps start by making promises and fulfilling them—offering food, shelter, gifts, and even a sense of identity. Once trust is earned, they begin to break the kids in for sexual services.”
 
A 2020 report by the U.S.-based Human Trafficking Institute found:
 

• Teens under 18 made up 55% of sex trafficking cases reported to law enforcement

 

• 12% were aged 13 or younger, and 89% were between 14 and 17 years old

 

• 41% of victims were recruited online

 

• Most exploiters operated independently, not as part of organized crime rings

  Source

 
Based on our investigations and conversations with teens, many of these individual exploiters have moved to online platforms like OnlyFans, rebranding themselves as "influencers." Teens recruited by these exploiters are often required to pay high “referral fees” to begin sharing content.
 
https://thewhitehatter.ca/blog/unpacking-the-750000-predators-statistic-shifting-focus-to-what-really-matters/ 
 
 

Technology and the Evolution of Exploitation
 
The digital world continues to evolve rapidly, and with it, so do the tactics used by predators. Today, technology is enabling new forms of abuse, including deepfake pornography and more sophisticated methods of sextortion.
 
Deepfake Abuse:
 
AI-generated deepfakes allow bad actors to create hyper-realistic pornographic content using existing images of children. These fakes can be indistinguishable from real footage and are sometimes created without the child ever knowing. This is particularly concerning as it removes the barrier of needing direct access to the victim and expands the scope of harm. We will look deeper into this challenge later in this web book
 
Sextortion:
 
Predators may manipulate or coerce youth into sharing intimate images or videos and then threaten to release them unless the victim provides more content, money, or other demands. This tactic relies on fear, shame, and silence to keep youth compliant. We dedicate a whole chapter to this challenge later in this web book.
 
Offenders frequently record live-streamed content or exploit material shared in confidence. Some participate in online communities or purchase "how-to" guides for exploiting others, often called "e-whoring manuals," which provide step-by-step instructions on grooming, deception, and blackmail tactics.
 
Here’s a chilling example we found from a forum post:
 
“I once spent almost an hour with a boy. Fifteen minutes was warming him up, and thirty minutes was him jacking... I had to loop my bait several times but he never noticed.”
 
These underground economies use encrypted messaging apps, the dark web, and cryptocurrency to operate anonymously. In 2022, the Internet Watch Foundation reported that more than 1,000 websites accepted cryptocurrency in exchange for CSAM—up from just 81 in 2018.
 
Why This Matters:
 

• The live nature of some CSAM streams means the content may leave no trace unless recorded

 

• The speed and scale of technological development are outpacing parental awareness

 

• Offenders are using increasingly believable digital personas to entrap youth

 
 
Understanding the Grooming Process
 
Grooming is rarely a single act—it is a gradual, manipulative process that unfolds over time. Offenders use calculated strategies to lower a child’s defenses, build trust, and normalize inappropriate behavior. To help parents identify red flags, social worker and author Anna Sonoda created a helpful framework known as "The Four F’s of Grooming."
 
1. Flattery
Groomers often begin by showering children with compliments. This excessive praise makes the child feel special and valued, creating a sense of connection and emotional dependence.
 
 
2. Favoritism
The predator singles out the child as a "favorite," reinforcing the child’s sense of importance. They may offer rewards, special treatment, or emotional support that separates the child from peers or family.
 
 
3. Forbidden Fruits
Offenders may encourage risky or secretive behaviors—such as watching inappropriate content, using drugs or alcohol, or using foul language. These acts can build a bond around shared secrecy and further alienate the child from parental oversight.
 
 
4. Fear
Eventually, the dynamic shifts. The predator may begin using threats or guilt: “Do you really want to lose me?” or “I’ll tell your parents what you did.” Fear becomes a tool to maintain control, especially if the offender possesses compromising material like images or videos.
 
 
This framework is powerful because it simplifies a complex process into observable behaviors. Parents, educators, and caregivers can use these signs to step in early, before the grooming progresses into abuse.
 
 
In the next section, we’ll examine how these grooming tactics unfold in digital environments and explore how predators use platforms, messaging apps, and games to carry out these stages undetected.
 
 
Grooming in Digital Spaces
 
The online world allows predators to move through the grooming process quickly, often without detection. Offenders will commonly seek out youth through social networks, gaming platforms, or apps with direct messaging features. Once they find a target, they often "creep" the child’s online profile to understand their likes, dislikes, insecurities, and digital habits.
Using this intel, they will craft a profile or username that resonates with the youth—perhaps matching the child’s interests, music preferences, or fandoms. The predator may then:
 

• Flood the child’s content with likes, follows, or compliments

 

• Engage in conversations that mirror the youth’s language and interests

 

• Offer emotional validation and attention that the child may not be receiving elsewhere

 
A relationship will often be established on a social network, online gaming platform, or app that is popular with youth.  Prior to connecting with their target, these offenders will often, not always, unknowingly “creep” their prey to learn their likes and dislikes. The offender will then modify their online profile and screen name that matches closely to their target’s interest, which again helps to build psychological rapport.
 
 
Once contact has been made with their target, the offender will shower them with likes, follows, and compliments, again in an attempt to break down the stranger stigma to further build rapport (CSEM). Other strategies used to gain a child’s trust include:
 

• Praising the child for their maturity and intelligence

 

• Flattery and Love Bombing

 

• Offering gifts, money, toys, and treats

 

• Offering to take the child on trips

 

• Offering support, love, stability, and protection

 

• Listening to and validating feelings by mirroring the child’s emotions and language

 

• Showing interest in hobbies, goals, likes, and dislikes that mirror those of their target

 

• syncing their language with that of the child

 

• Will promise drugs, alcohol, or adult entertainment

 

• Sharing secrets and making the child feel important

 

• asking if they have a picture of themselves in a bathing suit

 

• asking if they have a boyfriend or a girlfriend

 
At some point, the offender will often ask their target to move away from a public discussion, to a more private discussion via email, text messaging, or direct messaging, something known as “off-platforming”. The goal, cut the prey from the herd to decrease the likelihood of getting caught. Once off platformed the offender will engage in more sexualized coercion such as:
 

• asking about sexual development

 

• asking about sexual activity

 

• engage in sexualized role play, sometimes using avatars or cartoon character

 
It is also at this point that the offender will encourage their target to not tell anyone because they just wouldn’t understand.
 
Once rapport and trust have been built, the offender will often pay for their targets travel to meet them, offer quick cash, offer modelling opportunities, will not take “no” for an answer, and will continue to push their target’s boundaries.
 
Soon, they will encourage the child to shift the conversation to more private spaces such as text messaging, WhatsApp, or Discord. This tactic, known as "off-platforming," reduces the chance of being reported or monitored.
 
In these private conversations, the predator escalates their tactics:
 

• Asking about the child’s relationships, self-esteem, or family dynamics

 

• Introducing sexually charged comments or questions about sexual development

 

• Probing for pictures—initially innocent, but quickly becoming more explicit

 
Predators may also engage in sexual role-play using avatars or cartoon characters, which can desensitize a child by making the behaviour appear playful or fictional.
 
As the offender builds rapport and gains the child’s trust, they may begin to offer travel opportunities, quick cash, modelling gigs, or gifts as further enticements. Once the child shares a sexual image, the predator can then pivot to coercion or extortion.
 
This is why early recognition of the Four F’s and understanding digital grooming behaviours is crucial for prevention. In the next section, we’ll examine real-world signs and patterns that a child may be experiencing grooming or exploitation—and what actions parents can take immediately.
 
 
Recognizing the Signs of Grooming or Exploitation
 
Grooming is often subtle. Many children and teens may not realize they are being manipulated until it’s too late. That’s why it’s critical for parents and caregivers to remain engaged, observant, and proactive. Here are common behavioral and situational indicators that a child may be experiencing grooming or exploitation:
 
1. Secrecy About Online Activity
If your child becomes defensive, evasive, or overly protective of their devices, it could indicate that someone is coaching them to keep interactions hidden.

 
2. Sudden Mood Swings or Withdrawal
Unexplained emotional changes, especially after being online, can signal distress. Look for signs of anxiety, fear, guilt, or isolation.

 
3. New Friends, Especially Older or Unknown
Be cautious if your child mentions a new friend you don’t know—especially one who is older or who they “met online.”

 
4. Possession of Unexplained Gifts or Money
Gifts like phones, game credits, clothing, or cash that your child cannot explain may have been provided by someone grooming them.

 
5. Use of Sexualized Language Beyond Their Age
If a child begins using terms or concepts that are developmentally inappropriate, it could be the result of exposure to explicit content or conversations.

 
6. Increased Time Online, Especially at Night
Groomers often operate when parental supervision is lower. Late-night screen use is a known red flag.


7. Reluctance to Discuss Online Activity
If your child suddenly resists talking about their online life or becomes angry when questioned, this may suggest a troubling relationship or activity.

 
Here's a GREAT video from a survivor of sexual predation who describes the grooming process https://youtu.be/Z5QHEGaVeJ0

 
 
What Parents Can Do
 
1. Stay Calm and Supportive
If your child discloses something or you suspect grooming, respond with calm support rather than punishment. Fear of judgment is one of the main reasons youth don’t come forward.

 
2. Gather and Preserve Evidence
Take screenshots, save messages, and document usernames. This information may be crucial for reporting and investigation.

 
3. Report the Incident
 

• Contact your local police

 

• In Canada, report through cybertip.ca

 

• In the U.S., contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

 
4. Use Monitoring Tools Thoughtfully
Where appropriate, consider using monitoring software. But remember—no tool is more effective than open communication and trust.

 
5. Set Up Google Alerts
Create alerts for your child’s name and usernames to monitor for any public sharing of private content: Google Alerts

 
6. Engage in Ongoing Dialogue
This is not a one-time conversation. Repeated, age-appropriate talks about online safety, boundaries, and trust are essential.

 
7. Leverage Educational Resources
 

• Encourage your child to complete our Due Diligence Report before downloading any new app

 

• Implement our Family Collective Agreement

 
 
Moving Beyond "Stranger Danger"
 
For decades, parents were taught to warn their children with the phrase, "Don’t talk to strangers." While well-intentioned, this message is outdated and potentially dangerous in today’s online and offline realities.
 
Why? Because most predators are not strangers—they are known, trusted, and often loved by the child or their family.
 
A more effective and protective approach is to teach situational awareness—helping youth identify risky behaviour and unsafe situations, regardless of who is involved.
 
As safety expert Gavin de Becker points out:
 
“If you are a parent who is trying to scare your child safe, there will be two likely results: it won’t work and the parent loses credibility—or it will work, and the child will be afraid.”
 
Fear-based messaging may discourage a child from seeking help. It may also condition them to comply with authority—even when that authority is harmful. De Becker further notes:
 
“Fearful children are easily exploited by predators who use threats to control them. These predators rarely intend to carry out threats—they rely on fear to ensure compliance.”
 
 
The Problem with Stranger Stereotypes
 
Ask a young child what a stranger looks like, and you’ll hear answers like:
 

• Someone in dark clothes

 

• Someone wearing sunglasses or a hoodie

 

• Someone who looks scary or dirty

 
These stereotypes are misleading. Most abusers look like everyday people. Many are charismatic, well-dressed, and appear friendly. When we teach children to avoid only “scary-looking” strangers, we give them a false sense of security.
 
Even worse, some adults encourage children to interact with strangers in socially acceptable settings:
 

• “Say hello to the nice man.”

 

• “Answer the lady’s question.”

 

• “Tell the man your name.”

 
This contradictory messaging creates confusion. Instead, children should be taught that safety is about actions, not appearances.
 
Parent Tip:
 
The Internet and social media have changed the traditional “binary” meaning of the word friend/stranger. To say a “follower” or “subscriber” is not the same thing as a friend, is often factually incorrect in today’s onlife world; doing so will only result in your child ignoring your message of online safety as “Boomer” logic.  Sometimes an online follower can be a friend, and sometimes not. However, sometimes a friend can also be an online frienemy.  Identifying anyone online, either known or unknown, who has bad intentions, based upon a label (friend, follower, subscriber) can often be a significant challenge for youth (and even adults), in today’s onlife world. Once again, this is why parents need to move away from stranger danger, and start teaching situational danger which is much more desirable to keep our kids safer in the onlife world. It is much easier for youth to understand dangerous situations, rather than a “stranger profile”, whatever that means in today’s onlife world.
 
 
Situational Awareness in Action
 
Rather than focusing on who a person is, teach your child to focus on what the person is doing:
 

• Are they asking for secrecy?

 

• Are they offering gifts or rewards?

 

• Are they making you uncomfortable?

 

• Are they asking personal or inappropriate questions?

 
Children should also learn how to use their intuition. If something feels wrong, it probably is. Empower them to say "no," walk away, and seek help from a trusted adult.
 
This is the approach we took with our own son, Brandon. When he was four, we encouraged him to ask restaurant staff for things he needed—like an orange crayon—instead of doing it for him. At the mall, he would ask someone for the time. These exercises helped him build confidence and taught him to assess whether a stranger seemed safe or not.
 
The goal isn’t to make children afraid of everyone. It’s to help them recognize risk and respond appropriately.
 
 
Empowering Children to Trust Their Instincts and Set Boundaries
 
One of the most powerful tools a child has is their gut feeling—what we often call intuition. Helping children recognize and trust that internal signal can make all the difference when it comes to staying safe both online and offline. 

https://youtu.be/Z5QHEGaVeJ0 
 
Here are key strategies parents and caregivers can use:
 
1. Name and Normalize Intuition
Explain to children that everyone has a built-in warning system. Phrases like "something feels off," "this seems weird," or "I felt uncomfortable" are worth listening to. Let them know it’s okay to trust those feelings—even if the person involved is an adult or someone they know.


2. Give Permission to Say “No”
Children need to hear that they have the right to say no—to adults, peers, and even authority figures—if something feels wrong. Saying no is not being rude; it’s being safe.

 
3. Teach Assertive Language
Help your child practice phrases like:
 

• “I don’t want to.”

 

• “Please stop.”

 

• “That makes me uncomfortable.”

 

• “I’m leaving now.”

 
Role-playing scenarios where they use these statements builds confidence and helps them respond more automatically in high-pressure situations.

 
4. Reinforce Body Autonomy
From a young age, reinforce that their body belongs to them. They don’t owe anyone hugs or kisses. They should never be forced to keep secrets that make them uncomfortable—especially those involving touch, photos, or private communication.

 
5. Talk About Digital Boundaries
Just like in the physical world, boundaries matter online. Teach your child to:
 

• Never share passwords

 

• Avoid sending or posting private images

 

• Decline friend/follow requests from strangers

 

• Leave conversations that turn inappropriate

 
6. Establish Safe Adults and Places
Make sure your child knows which adults they can go to when something doesn’t feel right. Have regular conversations about what a “safe” adult is and where they can find help if they need it.

 
7. Praise Courage, Not Compliance
Celebrate moments when your child uses their voice or instinct to stay safe. Instead of rewarding obedience, praise bravery and self-respect.

 
By teaching kids how to listen to their instincts, assert their boundaries, and seek support when needed, we’re not just protecting them from harm—we’re helping them grow into self-aware, confident individuals who know how to navigate a complex world.
 
 
Minimizing Online Risks: Practical Steps for Parents
 
While no strategy is foolproof, there are several proactive steps parents can take to reduce the likelihood of their child being exploited online. These actions aren’t about surveillance or fear—they’re about building a partnership based on guidance, safety, and respect.
 
1. Control Tech Access in Private Spaces
Devices that connect to the internet—smartphones, laptops, gaming consoles, and even smart TVs—should be kept out of bedrooms and bathrooms. These environments reduce oversight and create opportunities for private, unmonitored communication with predators. Keep devices in shared family spaces.

 
2. Use Privacy and Security Settings
Help your child lock down privacy settings on all platforms and apps. Ensure their profiles are set to private, location services are disabled unless needed, and that their friend/follower lists include only trusted individuals. Review these settings regularly.

 
3. Set Digital Expectations Early
Before handing your child a device, have a clear conversation about responsibilities, boundaries, and trust. Establish usage rules, such as time limits, no devices after a certain hour, and expectations around respectful communication.

 
4. Model the Behaviour You Want to See
Children are always watching. Be mindful of your own tech habits, including screen time, how you talk about others online, and what you share. Show your child what healthy digital behaviour looks like.

 
5. Use a Family Technology Agreement
Create a written agreement that outlines family expectations around tech use. The White Hatter’s Family Collective Agreement is a great starting point to guide this conversation collaboratively.

 
6. Teach Digital Literacy and Critical Thinking
Equip your child to evaluate online content, understand manipulation tactics (like dark patterns), and think critically about who they interact with online. The more informed they are, the more empowered they become.

 
7. Stay Involved Without Spying
Talk regularly with your child about what they’re doing online. Ask questions—not in an interrogative way, but from a place of genuine curiosity. The goal is to build trust so your child feels safe coming to you if something goes wrong.

 
8. Use Monitoring Tools Thoughtfully
Monitoring software can be useful for younger children or in high-risk situations, but it should never replace communication. Let your child know upfront if you’re using monitoring tools, and remove them once trust and digital maturity are established.

 
9. Keep Learning
Technology and online platforms change fast. Stay informed. Follow trusted digital safety educators, attend webinars, and read credible research to stay current on evolving risks and tools.

 
By combining technical safeguards with emotional intelligence, open communication, and continuous education, families can create a home environment where digital safety is not a one-time talk—it’s a way of life.
 
 
Hashtags: Parents Could Be Unknowingly Chumming the Waters
 
One often overlooked prevention strategy involves recognizing the role that some parents unknowingly play when they post too much information about their child online—something commonly referred to as “sharenting.” According to author Stacey Steinberg:
 
“Sharenting is often a positive way to connect and support one another during parenthood to improve our lives, our child’s lives, and the lives of others in our community.”
 
However, parental overuse of technology and social media can sometimes result in the unintentional sharing of content that attracts the attention of online predators or sex offenders. Unfortunately, today’s “onlife” parent may inadvertently contribute to the creation of a “tagged generation”—youth who are highly searchable by individuals with ill intent.
 
One tactic predators and sex offenders often use to identify potential targets is searching hashtags (#). A hashtag is a way to index a post or picture on social networks like Facebook or Instagram, making content easily searchable and discoverable to anyone. If you're hash-tagging a picture of your child with their name, they can now be easily found by that name.

But names aren’t the only concern. There are specific hashtags that draw the attention of child sex offenders. Some of these include:
 
#bathtime, #pottytraining, #nakedbaby, #babypeeing, #nakedtoddler—just to name a few. 
 
Don’t believe us? Google these hashtags and click on the image results.
 
So before you hashtag the next cute picture of your toddler or child with their name—or what you believe is an innocent or playful hashtag—ask yourself:
 
“Do I want to make this image of my child both searchable and viewable by the world, including those who may want to prey upon them?”
 
Think before you hashtag and post.
 
Knowledge—and the understanding and application of that knowledge—is power.
 
 
My Child Has Been Targeted—Now What?
 
Even with all the prevention and education strategies in place, a child can still become a victim. If your child has been targeted, here’s what to do:
 

• As hard as it may be, do not overreact.

  Your child needs your support—not your criticism. Fear of judgment or unreasonable consequences is one of the main reasons youth don’t come forward to ask for help. We recommend the “TALK” approach promoted by RAINN: https://www.rainn.org/TALK

 

• Screen capture everything as evidence.

 

• Report it to the police.

 

• With police permission, block and delete the offender.

  In some cases, police may want to conduct an undercover account takeover as part of their investigation.

 

• Be aware: offenders often try to reconnect.

  After being blocked, they may create a new profile, use a different email, or text from another number to keep the pressure on your child.

 

• Set up Google Alerts for your child’s real name and any screen name used when interacting with the offender:

   

  https://www.google.ca/alerts

 
 
Additional Resources
 

• Canadian Online Course:

   

  “Mobilizing Communities to Disrupt Sexual Exploitation and Sex Trafficking in Canada”

  https://notinmycity.ca/learn/

 
This FREE 30-minute course is incredibly informative, easy to understand, and something every Canadian—adult or youth—should complete. Awareness and education are key to fighting this growing crime.
 

• 2023 U.S. Resource for Parents and Educators (from the Department of Homeland Security):

   

  https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/blue_campaign_youth_guide_508_1.pdf

 
 
How to Report the Crime
 
In Canada:
 

• Your local police

 

• Cybertip.ca – www.protectchildren.ca

 

• Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline – www.canadianhumantraffickinghotline.ca

 
 
In the United States:
 

• Your local police

 

• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children – www.missingkids.org

 

• National Human Trafficking Hotline – www.humantraffickinghotline.org

 
 
Video Resources from the White Hatter:
 
https://youtu.be/Ju6jkcOoBuc
 
https://youtu.be/ahR9hPepEJQ