St. Pete Police warn public about increase in 'sextortion' crimes

The St. Petersburg Police Department sent out a message Monday warning about an increase in online sexting extortion crimes. According to St. Pete Police, detectives have noticed an upward trend in these types of cases, in which the victim is manipulated into sending nude photos of themselves to fake romantic partners. The so-called partners will then threaten to post their photos publicly unless the victims send them money. These partners are typically met through dating apps and will engage in romantic exchanges until they eventually encourage the victim to send nude photos.