It’s another stark reminder for parents to monitor their kid’s online activity more often.
New policing data shows online luring cases have surged dramatically across North America, with reports rising 344% between 2020 and 2025. Child‑exploitation investigators say the trend reflects a growing wave of predators using social media, gaming platforms, and messaging apps to target children — often without parents realizing anything is wrong.
While raw numbers vary by jurisdiction, the overall spike is consistent across Canadian and U.S. agencies. Cybertip.ca, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and police Internet Child Exploitation units all report handling far more luring and sextortion files than they did just a few years ago. Many cases begin with offenders posing as teens, building trust, and then pressuring children to share images or personal information.
Experts say the rise is driven by several factors: more children online at younger ages, more platforms with private messaging, and increasingly sophisticated tactics used by offenders. Investigators warn that any child with a connected device — phone, tablet, gaming console, or laptop — can be approached.
Child‑protection groups stress that monitoring a child’s online world is now as essential as supervising where they go in the real one. That includes checking privacy settings, knowing who they’re talking to, and having regular conversations about online safety.
The surge comes as cross‑border cases continue to make headlines, including last week’s arrest of a 32‑year‑old Ohio man accused of luring a 10‑year‑old Manitoba girl. Police say the numbers show the threat is growing — and parents need to stay engaged.
