Overview

• The AFP-led operation in Nigeria culminated in the arrest of 22 suspects involved in a global sextortion ring targeting teenagers.
• The network coerced thousands of young victims into sharing explicit images before threatening to distribute them unless payments were made.
• Two of the arrested suspects have been connected to the 2023 suicide of a 16-year-old Australian boy, and the network’s tactics have been linked to more than 20 teen suicides in the United States since 2021.
• The Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation recorded 58,503 online child exploitation reports, including 1,554 sextortion cases in 2023–24, and noted a significant drop in sextortion reports after the arrests.
• The AFP is working with state and territory police to support victims through mental health referrals and has launched a dedicated sextortion help page alongside a ThinkUKnow response kit for teenagers.