Predators use SnapChat app for child luring, sexual exploitation

New data reveals an alarming trend where teenagers are being sexually exploited on the popular app, SnapChat.

Cybertip, an online tip reporting site for child sexual abuse and exploitation, has documented 27 of these types of incidents in the past six months.

More recently, these engagements include predators hacking into accounts or using threats to share intimate images.

"The fact that kids are on so many different apps and technology, social media sites, it's really easy to engage with them," said Stephen Sauer, Canadian Centre for Child Protection.

The agency found the main targets are boys between the ages of 15 and 17.

"One of the things we're seeing is youth are being sent to other sites or services that the offender has control of," which Sauer said allows the predator to gain access to the teen's account.

In nearly every report, the person demands money, more images or videos to keep private information from being shared or hacked.

Related Article: Barrie man accused of using social media app for child exploitation

In an email to CTV News Barrie, a spokesperson for SnapChat wrote in part, "Exploitation of any kind is unacceptable, especially when it involves having private material shared.

We have measures in place to help Snapchatters protect their accounts from improper access, including by encouraging them to use two-factor authentication, set a complex and unique password and only accept friend requests from people they know in real life."

The spokesperson said the app was intentionally designed to be a platform "for communicating with your close friends, not strangers."

And the problem isn't isolated to SnapChat. There had been a 62 per cent increase of similar reports across several social media platforms.

Police advise parents to talk to their kids about the dangers lurking online.

"Every day, we get reports of social media accounts being hacked," said South Simcoe Police Staff Sgt. Dave Phillips. "Information being stolen, whether it's for human trafficking purposes or fraud-related occurrences."