Cyber Crimes Against WA Teens Rise 250 Percent in Four Years

    Parents Together is an organization created to help fight cybercrime against teens and youth, and to monitor trends and criminal activity against kids.

They have released a new report with data from law enforcement showing some shocking stats.

 One in three WA youth will experience cybercrime or unwanted advances online

The report indicates between 2019 and 2023, tips of suspected internet crimes against children went up 250 percent according to data from the WA  Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

The data shows 1 in 3 youth will experience some sort of unwanted sexual advance or threat online by the time they turn 18. Cybertips, which are alleged crime reports or details of these activities, have risen from about 200 a month in 2020, to 1,156 in 2023.

It also reports case referrals from the National Center for Missing And Exploited Children have doubled since 2019. These are youth who likely fall victim to a cyber advance online;  going to meet up with someone they meet online and then vanishing.

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Some of the crime includes what is called "sextortion," where images of youth they may share online are now being modified using AI to create what is called deep fake pornography.

The report and authorities urge parents to talk with their children about their online experiences and behavior and to monitor their activities regularly. Not only can this help prevent cybercrime, but regular communication about their child or teens online life can make it easier or more comfortable for a child to report issues to their parents or a trusted adult.