**** RCMP Media Release
What you need to know about sharing online photos
On July 1, a parent contacted Inverness District RCMP advising her daughter had been threatened by a person she met online. The victim, a 15-year-old girl, was threatened via a social media platform that if she didn’t send nude photos to the suspect, they would track her down and harm her. The victim eventually sent photos to the suspect.
About a week later, the suspect contacted the victim again and asked for more photos. When she refused, the suspect sent the previous photos to her contacts. The victim then told her mother about the photos and they contacted the RCMP.
Police are attempting to identify the suspect and are being assisted by the Nova Scotia RCMP Technological Crime Unit. There are several offences that police consider when investigating this type of offence. Police can use discretion when determining the best course of action for an incident, however these charges can be applicable:
- Sharing intimate images without consent of the person depicted in the image is a criminal offence.
- Sharing intimate images of a person under the age of 18 years is a criminal offence.
- Extortion, meaning threatening someone into doing something, is a criminal offence.
Also, to help protect you and others from becoming a victim of this type of scam, consider the following:
- Do not add people you don’t know to your social media accounts.
- Ensure you are aware of what others can see in your social media programs regarding your security settings.
- If you are being threatened by someone online, contact police.
Anyone with concerns about these types of offences is encouraged to contact police, or Cyberscan at https://novascotia.ca/cyberscan/
