Sextortion Surge: 9 in 10 Young Victims in Belgium Are Boys

Sextortion is surging among young people in Belgium, with the country’s leading child protection foundation reporting a staggering 143% increase in cases last year. According to Het Laatste Nieuws, Child Focus handled 433 sextortion cases in 2025 — and 93% of victims were boys, with an average age of just 15.

A Growing Crisis

Sextortion — a portmanteau of “sex” and “extortion” — involves criminals tricking victims into sharing intimate images and then threatening to expose them unless money is paid. The figures released in Child Focus’s 2025 annual report paint a grim picture of an accelerating crisis. Overall, the foundation recorded 837 victims of online sexual exploitation last year, more than double the 401 cases documented in 2023.

The trend is not limited to sextortion alone. Grooming cases rose 151% (108 new files), with victims averaging 13 years old, while non-consensual sexting increased by 30% (296 cases), with 75% of victims being girls.

Why Boys Are Targeted

Niels Van Paemel, Policy Advisor at Child Focus, explained that the targeting of teenage boys is not sexually motivated but rather exploits specific vulnerabilities. “During puberty, the prefrontal cortex — also called the ‘CEO of the brain’ — is still developing,” he told HLN. “This causes boys to take risks much faster than girls. Also in sexual matters.”

Van Paemel also noted that boys are generally less likely to talk about their problems, making them more vulnerable to paying extortionists in hopes of making the problem disappear. Financial sextortion is the only form of sexual exploitation where Child Focus sees more male than female victims.

How the Scams Work

Criminal gangs operate with alarming sophistication. Initial contact occurs on platforms popular with youth — Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, and online games — where perpetrators use AI-powered chatbots to initiate conversations with thousands of potential victims simultaneously.

“More than 9 out of 10 are boys,” Van Paemel said. “Criminals use chatbots that can start conversations with thousands of young people at once.”

Once trust is established, victims are lured to encrypted platforms like Telegram, where the actual extortion takes place, making it harder for authorities to trace. Deepfake technology allows criminals to create hyper-realistic fake profiles that are nearly impossible to distinguish from real people.

Psychological Toll and the Trap of Payment

The psychological impact on a 14- or 15-year-old is severe. The threat of intimate images being shared with their entire social circle is, as Van Paemel described, “the end of the world” for a young person in the midst of identity development. Victims often experience intense stress, anxiety, and isolation.

Crucially, Van Paemel warned that paying the extortionists only worsens the situation. “You are never definitively rid of them,” he said. “The moment you as a young person make a payment, the criminals immediately demand another payment, since that is their only goal. They are exclusively after financial gain.”

Calls for Platform Accountability

Child Focus is directing criticism at major tech companies. Nel Broothaerts, CEO of Child Focus, called for urgent action. “It is not easy for children and young people to navigate a world where so much is possible, but things are also so complex,” she said. “Urgent work must be done to improve the online protection of our children.”

The organization argues that platforms like Meta and Snapchat bear responsibility because the initial “contact risk” occurs on their services. Victims are then “funneled” to encrypted apps where abuse continues beyond the platforms’ oversight.

Prevention and the Payboy Platform

In November 2025, Child Focus launched Payboy, an interactive platform designed to educate young people about sextortion. The platform offers prevention advice, including: never pay the extortionists, take screenshots of conversations as evidence, stop all communication, talk to a trusted adult, and contact Child Focus’s free 24/7 helpline at 116 000.

For parents, the foundation recommends talking regularly and without judgment about online life, showing genuine interest in the apps and games children use, and emphasizing that they will never be judged so they can always seek help.

What Lies Ahead

With a 143% year-on-year increase, the sextortion crisis shows no signs of abating. Child Focus is calling for strict enforcement of the EU’s Digital Services Act and swift adoption of a permanent Child Sexual Abuse regulation. As AI technology continues to evolve, the arms race between detection tools and criminal techniques is expected to intensify, making prevention and education more critical than ever.

If you or someone you know is affected by sextortion, contact Child Focus at 116 000 — a free, confidential helpline available 24/7.