The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) wants to warn families about an alarming sextortion trend.
The National Center for Missing and Exploiting Children saw a 35 percent increase in suspected child exploitation from 2020 to 2021.
Sextortion is a criminal act where an adult tricks a child into creating and sending explicit photos or videos. They might also ask for money.
The FBI says these crimes are happening here in the Midstate, mainly to children ages 10 to 17 on social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sextortion, call your local police department, and report it to the FBI or The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.