NC Center for Missing Persons warns of rising online threats targeting children

RALEIGH, NC (WWAY) — The North Carolina Center for Missing Persons is urging parents and guardians to remain vigilant after the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children  released its 2024 data, highlighting a surge in online child exploitation and sextortion across the United States.

According to NCMEC, the organization assisted with 29,568 missing children cases nationwide last year, achieving a 91% recovery rate. However, a growing number of those cases involved children who were lured or manipulated online.

In North Carolina, NCCMP was involved in 448 active missing children investigations in 2024. Many of those children were considered endangered due to vulnerabilities such as mental health challenges, online grooming, or coercion into dangerous situations.

Key findings from NCMEC’s 2024 report include:

• A 1,325% increase in CyberTipline reports involving Generative AI, used to create synthetic exploitative material of children.
• Nearly 100 daily reports of financial sextortion, with teenage boys increasingly targeted.
• At least 36 boys nationwide have died by suicide since 2021 after being victimized by online sextortion.
• Child sex trafficking reports rose 55%, influenced by expanded reporting requirements under the REPORT Act.

While the overall number of CyberTipline submissions dropped from 36.2 million in 2023 to 20.5 million in 2024, experts believe this may be due to changes in reporting methods rather than a decrease in activity.

“These threats are not abstract, and they are not limited to any one community,” said Morrissa Ahl-Moyer, director of the NC Center for Missing Persons. “We are seeing predators use increasingly sophisticated tactics, including fake profiles, AI-generated images and financial blackmail to manipulate kids from behind a screen. It can happen to anyone.”

Ahl-Moyer emphasized that parents don’t need to be technology experts to protect their children. Instead, she advised staying engaged and maintaining open communication.

“Parents don’t need to be tech experts to protect their children. They just need to be present, aware and informed. A ten-minute conversation can prevent a life-altering situation,” she said.

To help protect children, NCCMP encourages families to:

• Regularly discuss online interactions and digital safety with children.
• Monitor social media, messaging apps, and gaming platforms.
• Report suspicious behavior to law enforcement or the CyberTipline at www.cybertipline.org.