Pine Knot News - A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news

A Minnesota boy makes a new friend in an online game. He thinks it’s a cute girl around his age. After chatting for a while, she sends him a nude photo of herself and asks for one in return. He sends a photo and suddenly his new friend stops being friendly. She is actually an overseas criminal who demands money or says that the photo will be shared with his parents and friends on social media. Panicked and ashamed, the boy has no idea what to do next.

This and similar scenarios play out every day in homes around Minnesota. Financial sextortion — tricking someone into sending explicit ph...