The internet is a great tool to have, but it can be very dangerous.
The same goes for apps like Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok.
That's why, on "Safer Internet Day" on Tuesday, law enforcement agencies across the country urged parents to be aware and worked to raise awareness about "sextortion."
FBI agents say they're seeing more and more cases of it each year.
"The biggest thing that stood out to me as a parent is, you know, one in three will never tell you about any situation that they got into," Morgan County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Mike Swafford said.
Sextortion is described as an internet crime that happens when an adult convinces a child or teen to share sexual pictures or perform sexual acts on a webcam, according to the FBI.
"Basically, getting a child into a position where they feel they can't get help and they have to do something that they don't want to do," Swafford said.
If your child becomes a victim, they might be afraid to tell.
"Kids are going to be worried about getting in trouble, so I think just letting them know, you know, just talk to me anytime you're not sure," said Erica Hochberger, intervention and clinical director at National Children's Advocacy Center in Huntsville.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children says they received 1,428 reports of sextortion to their tip line between October 2013 and April 2016. The victims range from 8 to 17 years old.
Sixty percent of them knew the perpetrator.
You can read more about that .
"The preventative side is you have to talk to them, you have to have a conversation about what can happen, that's age-appropriate," Swafford said. "Then also be aware of what are they doing, what kind of apps do they use."
If you suspect your child is the victim of a crime, call authorities right away.
"If there is one thing that I could leave everybody with, it would just be a reminder that it's the teenagers who find themselves in these situations," Hochberger said. "They're victims of a crime, and it's so important that we support them as such and that we never, ever blame them for something that an adult did."Â
Learn more about the National Children's Advocacy Center in Huntsville .
