MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WGNS News) - The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is renewing a warning that parents, teachers, coaches and caregivers in Rutherford County should take seriously: online predators are increasingly targeting children and teens through financially motivated sextortion schemes. Scroll down for a closer look at an actual message sent to one person in the Middle Tennessee area.
The warning follows newly released data from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, which shows a continued and growing threat involving children being coerced, threatened or blackmailed after being tricked into sharing explicit images or videos.
In 2025 alone, NCMEC received more than 50,000 reports of financially motivated sextortion. That averages out to about 137 reports every day. The number also marks a sharp increase from 2024, when the center received more than 36,000 reports.
“While the newly released numbers are deeply concerning, unfortunately, we are not at all surprised. Those are national statistics. Currently, our four agents assigned to investigate these types of crimes are collectively trying to identify and locate more than 150 child victims of sextortion. Those are just the cases in the state of Tennessee assigned to TBI,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Robert Burghardt, who oversees the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children Squad.
During a press conference held in 2024, officials further explained the dangers of sextortion scams and how scammers prey on children and teenagers. TBI Assistant Special Agent Burghardt explained...
Financial sextortion often begins when a predator contacts a child or teenager online, sometimes posing as someone close to the victim’s age. After building trust or applying pressure, the offender may convince the child to send a private image. Once that happens, the predator threatens to release the image to friends, family, classmates or social media followers unless money is paid or additional images are sent.
Investigators say one of the most dangerous aspects of these cases is that the abuse often remains hidden. In many situations, the predator and the child are the only people who know what is happening until the case is reported to law enforcement.
“This leaves the child carrying an overwhelming emotional burden on their own. Unfortunately, the predators often encourage their victims to commit suicide and some feel like that is their only choice when faced by the threat of having their nude photographs shared with friends and family,” Burghardt said.
The issue is especially important in growing communities like Murfreesboro, Smyrna, La Vergne, Eagleville and other parts of Rutherford County, where thousands of children and teenagers use phones, social media platforms, gaming systems and messaging apps daily. Investigators say offenders often take advantage of private online spaces where adults may not immediately see suspicious activity.
NCMEC is also reporting changes in how offenders are approaching victims. Many are moving faster than before, quickly shifting conversations from public platforms to private messages and encrypted apps. That makes the crimes harder for parents, schools, technology companies and law enforcement to detect.
“Education is our strongest defense against financial sextortion. Parents and caregivers need to have conversations with their children about sextortion before a crisis happens,” Burghardt said. “Every child should know two things: if it happens, tell a trusted adult immediately, and never pay or cooperate with a blackmailer. Giving in rarely ends the abuse. It almost always encourages more demands.”
TBI officials say the most important message for children is that they will not be in trouble for asking for help. Parents and caregivers are urged to keep communication open, talk honestly about online risks and make sure young people understand that threats from online blackmailers should be reported immediately.
Law enforcement also encourages families to save messages, usernames, payment demands, profile information and screenshots when possible, rather than deleting the evidence. Those details can help investigators identify suspects and protect additional victims. Scroll down for a closer look at an actual message sent to one person in the Middle Tennessee area.
The TBI says parents, educators, coaches, youth leaders and others who work with children should treat sextortion as an urgent safety issue, not simply an internet problem. Officials say early conversations may be the difference between a child silently carrying fear and shame alone, or quickly reaching out to a trusted adult who can help stop the abuse.
