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Reports of sextortion, and child sexual abuse being posted online and sent via private messages are on the rise.
Police say in 2023 New Zealand authorities received 19,865 referrals from the Cyber Tipline - run by US-based National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.
This was nearly 5000 more than in 2022.
"Reports from NCMEC which contain information about victims and online offenders here in New Zealand have almost quadrupled in the last five years alone," the officer in charge of the police online child explotation team, Detective Senior Sergeant Kepal Richards, said.
"These latest statistics unfortunately are not surprising, but should be cause for increased concern."
Richards said just over half of New Zealand's sextortion victims were young males between the ages of 13 and 21, it could affect anyone of any age.
Keep It Real Online provides resources to tamariki, parents, and educators about staying safe online.
It was often offshore offenders who were responsible, he said, and persuaded victims to send sexually explicit content before blackmailing them by threatening to post them online, or sharing them with people close to the victim.
The advice to young people and parents was to remain vigilant online, be 100 percent sure of who you are communicating with, and if you suspect you are engaging with an adult posing as another child, report it.
Child Exploitation Operations Team chief Customs officer, Simon Peterson, said the majority of objectionable material New Zealand agencies deal with show real children being harmed through often-horrific sexual abuse.
"Behind every one of these reports is an online user, here in New Zealand, who may pose a real threat to our communities and our tamariki, in particular."
Children and young people need to be aware that any information they share with unknown persons or profiles online can be used against them, he said.
Where to get help:
Victim Support 0800 842 846
Rape Crisis 0800 88 33 00
HELP Call 24/7 (Auckland): 09 623 1700, (Wellington): 04 801 6655 - push 0 at the menu
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) 022 344 0496
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
