Category Archives: News

Sextortion

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“Literally, in seconds, they used my image to blackmail me”

They’re words we hope you’ll never have to say, and we’re asking you, and your friends, to get wise to the ‘amorous’ advances of online fraudsters.

The warning from detectives comes in response to increasing reports of online blackmail of an intimate or sexual nature.  This blackmail is commonly known as ‘sextortion’.

Detective Chief Inspector David McBurney said: “Typically, a person uses a false identity to befriend a victim via social media.  The exchange may start with flirting or flattery, but ends with the victim coaxed into sending intimate images or performing sexual acts online, unwittingly in front of a camera.

“Behind the fake and attractive guise, there’s a criminal. These people are often part of sophisticated and organised crime groups, mostly based overseas. They extort their victims by threatening to share those images or recordings unless demands for money are met. 

“Innocent people are left feeling humiliated and distraught, but the important message is that victims shouldn’t let embarrassment stop them from reporting what’s happened.”

In 2022, the Police Service of Northern Ireland received approximately 40 reports of sextortion a month. This compares to 2020 when between 10 and 20 reports were received per month.

The majority (80 per cent) of victims are males under the age 30; and approximately 15 per cent of these are aged 15 or younger.

Detective Chief Inspector McBurney continued: “My message, in the first instance, is to be on your guard.  Please be aware of the risks of sharing intimate images online, and if someone is pushing you to do this, then alarm bells should be ringing.

“But people do make mistakes, no one is infallible, and if you’ve been a victim of sextortion, then you’re certainly not alone. 

“Don’t panic; don’t respond to demands; and don’t enter into further communication. If you can, confide in a trusted friend or family member, and please contact officers immediately on 101.” 

              

The Police Service has issued online safety advice, which includes:

  • Don’t get lured or pushed into compromising situations. Trust your gut, and end uncomfortable situations immediately.
  • Always remember that what goes online may well stay online.
  • Be wary about whom you invite or accept invitations from on social networking sites. Do not accept friendship requests from complete strangers.
  • Update the privacy settings on your social networking accounts so only people you know can view your account. Do not include any sensitive or private information in profiles.

For further information and details of organisations who can help, visit www.psni.police.uk/sextortion

 

Inclusive Beaches- Mae Murray Foundation

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There are five Inclusive Beaches across Northern Ireland ensuring everyone can get to the beach – with Changing Places Toilets or equivalent, and equipment to help people with all needs get onto the beach or into the water (at RNLI patrolled beaches).   

The Mae Murray Foundation is free to join, and it is free for members to use our equipment and attend our events.  For more information, please contact Pippa, Community Development Officer with the Mae Murray Foundation on 0751 093 1904

Inclusive Beaches Leaflet – Mae Murray Foundation 

SHSCT Children’s Speach & Language Therapy Team Play & Say Programme

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The Play and Say programme from the Southern Health & Social Care Trust’s Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Team is for children aged 3 years and younger and their parents/carers and is now available for everyone.

It provides tried and tested strategies to support young children’s speech and language development through play.

The programme is delivered by Registered Speech and Language Therapists and has been highly successful in encouraging young children’s communication development.

Discover how you can help your young child progress with their early speech development and listen to the Registered Speech and Language Therapists as they guide you through a series of proven language development strategies –  https://view.pagetiger.com/play-and-say/universal

Download Play and Say flyer

NEW SHSCT Speech & Language Therapy Advice Line

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The Southern Health and Social Care Trust’s Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Team are delighted to announce the launch of the telephone Advice Line as a means of support of parents of children resident in the SHSCT.

The Advice Line will be available each Monday starting February 6th from 10am-12 noon.

Parents/ carers will now have direct access to a Registered Speech and Language Therapist, via a dedicated phone line.

NB -This service is for children who are not already known to the Speech and Language Therapy service. 

Operation Encompass rolled out to further 325 schools in Northern Ireland

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 The programme which is already operational across the Downpatrick, Newry and South Armagh areas sees Police sharing information with schools where there have been instances of domestic abuse involving a child. This will allow officers to pass on relevant information to the school the child attends so that the right support can be put in place.

Operation Encompass is a partnership between the Safeguarding Board of Northern Ireland, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Education Authority, and schools, aimed at supporting children who witness domestic violence or abuse in the home. If the Police attend a domestic abuse call where children are present, they will contact the child’s school before 9am the next morning to hare this information with their safeguarding team.

Across North Down and Ards, Lisburn, Craigavon, Banbridge and Dungannon, a further 325 schools are joining the programme before it is rolled out across all of Northern Ireland. This includes schools of all types – Nursery, Primary, Post-Primary, Special, EOTAS, Irish Medium and Independent Christian.