NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WOKI)— The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is warning families about a growing online threat targeting children and teenagers as reports of financial sextortion continue to climb nationwide.
According to new data released by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, more than 50,000 reports of financially motivated sextortion were received in 2025, averaging 137 reports every day. The figure marks a significant increase from the more than 36,000 reports received in 2024.
TBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Robert Burghardt, who oversees the agency’s Internet Crimes Against Children Squad, said the rise in reports mirrors what investigators are seeing in Tennessee.
Burghardt said TBI’s four agents assigned to these investigations are currently working to identify and locate more than 150 child victims connected to sextortion cases across the state.
Financial sextortion occurs when offenders obtain or manipulate victims into sharing explicit images and then demand money while threatening to distribute the images to family members, friends, or others.
Investigators warn that victims often suffer in silence because the predator and the child are frequently the only people aware of the situation until it is reported to law enforcement.
Burghardt said some offenders go even further, encouraging victims to harm themselves or take their own lives.
Authorities also say offenders are increasingly moving conversations to private messaging platforms and encrypted applications, making their activities more difficult to detect.
“Education is our strongest defense against financial sextortion,” Burghardt said, urging parents and caregivers to discuss online safety before a crisis occurs.
TBI recommends that children immediately tell a trusted adult if they are targeted and emphasizes that victims should never send money or cooperate with blackmail demands.
Anyone who believes a child has been victimized should contact local law enforcement and submit a report to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children through the CyberTipline.
