BATH, Maine — Investigators with the Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Office are issuing a warning for teens and their parents concerning "sextortion scams."
In many cases, it happens when an individual shares explicit photos with someone they think they can trust online, and then that person uses those photos as a form of blackmail.
"I would say, ballpark, we're seeing five to 10 cases over the last couple of years and not just juvenile," Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Office Detective Brian Carlton said.
Police are also seeing more cases where actual photos are never shared, but rather artificial intelligence is used to create a realistic nude photo that is then used for blackmail.
Detective Carlton happened to catch NBC's Nightly News when a story on AI-generated explicit photos of teens aired. The next day, he got a phone call.
"I received a phone call from a parent reporting that their child had been caught up in one of these scams, and the investigation continues with that case," Carlton said.
As more kids and teenagers use social media, Carlton wants to make sure the dangers are known.
"Part of the reason that we are so focused on it right now is that we're seeing, nationwide, an increase in the rate of suicides by juveniles getting caught in a sextortion scam, and that's our big push to get out into the local schools for that," Carlton said. "This really just drives home the need for this information and sharing the resources that are available to teens and juveniles that get caught in this."
Some of those resources include the National Center for Missing and Exploited, the Internet Computer Crimes Complaint Center, and the website "Take It Down."
Carlton also says an open line of communication is important.
"It's really important that if someone does get caught up in a scam or bad situation that they're not afraid to go talk to a parent," Carlton said. "If it's a parent that they're not comfortable going with, it's a school resource officer, a guidance counselor, or it's a teacher."
If you are chatting with someone online, there are some things to keep in mind.
"Who you're talking to, try to confirm that as much as possible," Carlton said. "Don't give away your home addresses, you meet in public places where you know other people, they're gonna be around if you're gonna actually meet in person, and certainly don't share anything on the internet that you wouldn't want shared further."
As social media use and AI continue to gain popularity, the future remains uncertain.
"I think one of the most important things is making sure that the laws we're able to enforce are keeping up with the technology and probably going to be a constant game trying to make that happen," Carlton says.
Sextortion doesn't just happen to teens, but adults too.
If you think you've been a victim of a sextortion scam, Detective Carlton says to block the person from social media, do not deactivate your account, keep any screenshots, and contact your local law enforcement.