FBI Jacksonville urges families to protect children from online predators as summer break begins

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With summer break starting for schools across the region, FBI Jacksonville is urging families to stay vigilant and protect children from online predators and exploitation.

Children often spend more time on the internet during summer — on social media, gaming and messaging platforms — where offenders may pose as peers, gain trust and later use threats, fear or explicit content to exploit them. Shame and fear frequently prevent victims from reporting abuse, making awareness and open communication critical, the FBI said.

“Online threats targeting children are increasing at an alarming rate, with crimes like sextortion, cyberbullying and online exploitation causing real-world harm,” Jason Carley, FBI Jacksonville’s special agent in charge, said. “As students spend more time online outside of the classroom, parents and guardians should remain engaged in their children’s digital activity and reinforce good online habits.”

Trends show a sharp rise in cybercrimes targeting minors, driven by sextortion, cyberbullying and online grooming. Violent online networks sometimes coerce children to engage in self-harm, animal cruelty or suicidal acts on livestreams, and some of these incidents have resulted in victims’ deaths.

These networks — often referred to as “764” — typically target underage females ages 10 to 17 but can prey on anyone who is isolated, has unfettered internet access or struggles with mental health issues.

In 2025, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received more than 75,000 submissions involving sextortion and referred more than 5,700 cases involving minors to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. In 2025, Florida reported more than 600 sextortion complaints from people under 20.

If you suspect your child may be a victim, do not try to handle the predator yourself. local police, call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or reach FBI Jacksonville at 904-248-7000.

To report cyber fraud or file a complaint, visit the IC3 website at ic3.gov . Additional resources are available from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at missingkids.org/netsmartz/resources.

Hailing from Detroit, Jonathan is excited to start his media career at News4JAX in November 2023. He is passionate telling stories that matter to the community and he is honored to serve Jacksonville.