RCMP reminds Canadians about violent online groups targeting youth
Wednesday, September 4, 2024
OTTAWA, ON, Aug. 27, 2024 /CNW/ - The RCMP National Security Program is working with the National Child Exploitation Crime Centre to protect youth from the threat of violent online groups.
These online groups have ties to known Ideologically Motivated Violent Extremist (IMVE) entities and are targeting youth online with the intention of getting them to record or live-stream acts of self-harm, suicide, animal torture and/or produce child sexual abuse material. The footage is then circulated among online networks and used to further control and extort the young victims. In many cases, perpetrators are minors themselves. Victims may end up being encouraged or coerced into victimizing others.
Key motivators for members of these groups are to spread their ideology, gain notoriety, collect extreme violent online content, and rise in status within their groups.
They operate on publicly available platforms, including gaming platforms, social media sites and mobile applications that are popular with youth (Roblox, Discord, Minecraft, Twitch, Telegram, Steam, etc.). This type of offence usually starts with a direct message through gaming platforms and can move to more private chatrooms on other virtual platforms, typically one with video enabled features, where the conversation quickly becomes sexualized or violent.
One of the tactics being used by these actors is sextortion, however, they are not using it to extract money or for sexual gratification. Instead they use it to further manipulate and control victims to produce more harmful and violent content as part of their ideological objectives and radicalization pathway.
One IMVE group targeting children is commonly known as the 764 network (or "the com") but goes by various monikers. Some of the largest sub-groups are known as: CVLT, Court, Kaskar, Harm Nation, Leak Society, 7997, 8884, 2992, 6996, 555, Slit Town, 545, 404, NMK, 303, and H3ll.
There are many major crimes being committed by these groups. Most concerning is the sexual exploitation, harm inflicted on children and animals, and aim to get victims to commit suicide on camera.
Warning signs
The following are some key indicators that your child could be the target of an IMVE group creating child sexual abuse and violent content online:
-- They are on the mobile application Discord, Telegram or other encrypted
communications platforms and for which you have no visibility as a
parent.
-- They are receiving anonymous gifts, items delivered to your home,
currency, gaming currency or other virtual items.
-- They are demonstrating an interest or affinity to extreme messaging
online, including conspiracy theories, anti-government rhetoric, or
sympathy/support toward extreme messaging or online propaganda.
-- They are demonstrating a newfound and abrupt interest in questioning or
rejecting moral constraints on their behaviour, together with an
interest in Nazism, school shootings, serial killers, or occultism.
-- Family pets or other animals are being harmed or die suspiciously.
-- You notice a family pet is uncharacteristically avoiding or fearful of
your child or you.
-- Writing in blood or what appears to be blood.
-- They have a new online "friend" or network they seem infatuated with
and/or scared of.
-- They are covering their skin in unusual ways.
-- They are going through more bandages, or showing evidence of cuts,
carvings on their skin, stab wounds and more.
-- They are more quiet than usual and uncharacteristically withdrawn.
-- They are excessively moody and on edge.
-- Their grades are dropping.
-- They are spending more time on the internet, unsupervised or alone in
their room.
-- They are spending more money online or asking for money more often than
usual.
-- They are scrawling names and/or numbers in notebooks, diaries, loose
papers.
Note: These indicators alone may not be significant, however when considering them in clusters or with the totality of circumstances, could have more meaning and reason for concern.
Help us take action
Canadian victims have come forward and there are likely more victims across the country.
We ask parents, guardians and adults in positions of authority to keep an eye out for indicators that a child or youth is being targeted or exploited and report the information to Cybertip.ca or your local police. If you believe someone is in immediate danger, please call 9-1-1.
Your report could be the missing piece to preventing more harm.
Related links
-- Canadian Centre for Child Protection
-- National Child Exploitation Crime Centre
-- Public Safety Canada
SOURCE Royal Canadian Mounted Police Media Relations and Issues Management
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