FBI warns of trending crime

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - The Federal Bureau of Investigation is seeing more issues of sexual exploitation of children in Idaho, Utah, and Montana and it's leading to sextortion.

Agents said they receive dozens of reports of these cases every month. They said this is only the tip of the iceberg because many of these kinds of cases do not get reported.

They encourage parents to talk to their kids as much as possible about what they are doing online and to be aware of the risks of what they are doing, especially when it comes to sending very personal pictures.

The children who do this, they are victims, and that’s how the FBI views them. 

It is young men that these online scammers are trying to trick.

The FBI has produced a powerful video you can watch it below.

It tells the story of one young man who almost took his life, but with quickly intervening family, he then realized he was the victim.