Skip to contentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today.Join todayAlready a member? Log inMargaret DavisFriday 09 October 2026 07:03 BSTParents of teenage who took his own life after being victim of sextortion sue MetaReports of online 'sextortion' made to the Report Remove helpline are on track to more than double in 2026, according to the Internet Watch Foundation.Data shows 462 cases were registered by the end of June 2026, surpassing the total of 394 recorded throughout 2025, with boys making up 95 per cent of victims.Sextortion occurs when predators lure young people into sharing indecent images of themselves and subsequently use them for blackmail.Child safety campaigners from the Internet Watch Foundation and the NSPCC have warned that the recorded figures represent only the tip of the iceberg.Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has stated the government will introduce legislation to enforce nudity-blocking technology on children's devices if tech platforms fail to act.In fullMajority of sextortion cases involve boys as cases double in a yearMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in