Protect & Prevent - Digital Exploitation: A Global Pandemic and the Target is Our Kids

THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PODCAST ANY PARENT CAN LISTEN TO AND A CALL TO ACTION. Our world has "tilted" and nobody noticed. Million Kids has been combating sextortion since 2010. Initially, we dealt with kids who sent nudes, or who bullied others who had sent a nude. Occasionally, it would be a case of 'revenge porn" where to lovers took photos during a hot moment and then broke up with the revengeful party threatening to share the photos. Then it progressed to individual pedophiles who would seduce young girls into sending a photo and the blackmail began.

As global pedophile rings were brought together in the dark web, pedophiles would turn to sextortion to gather large numbers of nude photos that they could buy, sell or trade on the dark net. Some pedophiles were prosecuted for blackmailing more than 1000 victims. As technology expanded, law enforcement began to investigate overseas cases where U.S. citizens participated in live streaming of minors being exploited.

However, the world changed right after Covid. As billions of people went online, we experienced a technological transformation unlike we have ever experienced before. With 5G High Speed Internet, money transfer, geo location software, and artificial intelligence, NO ONE WILL BE SAFE, and our children are target number one.

Financial sextortion is one of the fastest growing digital exploitation crimes of 2025. Criminals from Nigeria, Myanmar, the Ivory Coast can access our kids at their weakest moment and the grooming begins. This is mainly targeting successful young males and they demand money. There are now more than 60 Nudify sites where criminals (and kids) can make a deep fake illicit image of the most innocent among us.

Million Kids cares deeply about this issue. We say, NO MORE. We are working furiously to educate teachers, parents, kids, and school districts about how to not be a victim. Equally important we want to create a streamlined intervention program for students to have safe haven and get immediate law enforcement investigation. AND there must be a mass education program for parents and kids. Never again should we lose a precious young person because they did not understand how digital exploitation works.