This week on 7 News Spotlight, a bombshell investigation reveals the dark underbelly of social media sextortion and the role Meta and other tech giants play in taking responsibility in these scams.
Rohan Cosgriff, 17, had everything to live for, but within hours of the Victorian teenager sharing an explicit photo on social media with a Nigerian scammer posing as a young, attractive girl, Rohan was blackmailed and pressured into taking his own life.
In a major 7NEWS Spotlight investigation this Sunday at 8.30pm on Channel 7 and 7plus, award-winning investigative journalist Sarah Greenhalgh reveals the dark underbelly of social media sextortion.
The Australian Federal Police estimate that as many as 3,000 cases of sextortion occur in our country every month, with teenage boys left ashamed and scared. What starts as a simple “hello” in a direct online message quickly escalates into a terrifying ordeal involving private photos and ruthless extortion. Like Rohan, some of these cases have tragic consequences.
Determined to expose the criminals behind sextortion, Sarah travels 15,000km to Lagos, Nigeria, coming face-to-face with a sextortionist who explains in chilling detail how and he and his colleagues target their victims.
Sarah said:
“The importance of this story can’t be overstated. Sextortion is one of the fastest growing crimes against children in our country, with families across Australia and the world left devastated by its impact.”
In a heart-wrenching interview, Rohan’s parents share their son’s story publicly for the first time. Recounting the tragic circumstances that led to his death, the Cosgriffs hope to prevent other Australian families experiencing the same tragedy.
Sarah added:
“All the parents we interviewed who have lost their sons had open, honest conversations with them about the dangers of social media, but it wasn’t enough.”
“We’re incredibly grateful to Beck and Anthony Cosgriff for bravely sharing Rohan’s story. We have no doubt they will help save lives.”
7NEWS Spotlight also focuses on Meta and other tech giants, demanding they step up and take responsibility to protect children from these heinous crimes.
Sarah goes to the US searching for answers from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg over Instagram’s involvement in these scams.
And what she exposes is a chilling truth: no child is safe.
