Parents - Eyes Here For a Moment

Parents, eyes here for a moment! It's important.

"He took what was supposed to be the most pivotal years from my life. He stole them, he tried to destroy me, diminish me, and almost succeeded," one of the young victims said during his sentencing hearing Friday. "At the end of the day there are wounds that will never heal and psychological damage and trauma that will haunt me to my grave."?

In today's digital age, our children face threats we never imagined. One of the most insidious of them, sextortion—a form of online blackmail that can devastate young lives forever. As one victim recounted during the sentencing of their sextortionist, “He stole what should have been the most pivotal years of my life. The psychological damage and trauma will haunt me to my grave.”

In 2015, I assisted the FBI in investigating "one of the most prolific sextortionists in American history." Buster Hernandez, a 26-year-old living with his grandmother in Bakersfield, California, had devastated hundreds of women's lives through his campaigns. His reign of terror caught my attention when he began targeting a small town near Indianapolis.

What is Sextortion?

Sextortion is a type of blackmail where a person is threatened with the release of sexual images or videos unless they comply with demands. Unfortunately, this is not a new phenomenon. The term dates back to the 1950s, and the case discussed in this article began in 2012.

Operating under the pseudonym Brian Kil, Hernandez terrorized Plainfield, Indiana, after one of his victims—held in virtual captivity for 16 months—finally broke free and informed her mother. His retribution was swift and severe: bomb threats to schools, death threats against the victim's family, friends, and law enforcement. The community was upended, but this was just the tip of the iceberg. Hernandez had targeted 375 victims in total.

As data poured in, I analyzed it with a growing sense of dread. The gravity of the investigation became more and more apparent with every additional detail. An unread log, misunderstood event, or overlooked IP address could lead to this predator evading justice. This burden kept me awake for months.

From 2012 to 2017, Buster Hernandez engaged in an online campaign of terror, coercing hundreds of victims—many of them minors—to produce sexually explicit images and videos of themselves. He didn’t need an explicit image to start; fear alone was an effective tactic. Typically, he began with a private message on social media or text message, claiming he already had explicit photos of the victim. He also threatened to murder, rape, kidnap, and injure his victims and their loved ones, even encouraging some to kill themselves.

"Typically, he began with a private message to a potential victim on social media conveying that he already possessed explicit photos of them."

"He also threatened to murder, rape, kidnap, and injure his victims and their friends and family and encouraged some victims to kill themselves."

Buster Hernandez was just one predator. How many more are out there?

As I dug deeper, it became clear this wasn't an isolated case—it was widespread. As I navigated through dark web forums hundreds, potentially thousands, of victims were revealed. Each forum post fueled my anger. The reluctance in these girls' eyes was apparent—they were unwilling participants. Yet the comments, cruel and demeaning, demanded more from the poster, compounding the heartache. This stark reality led to a daunting question:

How do you stop them?

I realized that one of the most effective solutions was to share the experience, inform both parents and kids, and bridge the gap between parents and technology to better protect our kids.

So, what can you do about it?

Here are a few straight forward, high-impact tips

Educate your child about the dangers. Don’t gloss over it, don't be abstract, be specific! Don’t allow them to land in the crosshairs of these predators before you warn them of their existence. It’s important that you take the time to educate your kids of the true dangers of the Internet before they become a target.

They should also know they can talk to you. The stark reality is these young girls were victim of a virtual kidnapping. Held hostage through their phones, living in fear because they didn’t feel they could approach their parents. Find ways to let your kids know they can talk to you about this without fear of repercussion.

Take control of your child's technology. Devices are privileges, not rights. As a parent, maintain oversight of phones, tablets, and laptops. For iOS users:

1. Access "Screen Time" settings
2. Navigate to "Communication Limits"
3. Select "Contacts Only"
4. Enable "Manage [Child's Name] Contacts"
5. Disable "Allow Contact Editing"

This setup restricts your child's communication to approved contacts only. They may receive messages from unknown senders but they won't be able to read them. This shields them from spam and potential predators. If it's a legitimate contact, they can let you know, and you can add it if appropriate.

Remember: Your child's safety outweighs their temporary frustration and worth your time to learn them.

Look for behavioral changes in your children:

• Increased Secrecy with Technology: They become more secretive about their device use, frequently deleting messages or hiding their screen.
• Emotional Distress: They show signs of anxiety, depression, or sudden mood swings, often without a clear cause.
• Withdrawal from Social Activities: They become isolated, avoiding friends, family, or social events they used to enjoy.
• Unexplained New Contacts: They have new online contacts or receive strange messages from people they don't want to talk about.

There are even more tips on the FBI website: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-frauds-and-scams/sextortion/sextortion

In the end, build a close relationship with your child, don't be afraid to educate them. Having too much control and monitoring over their tech is not being a helicopter parent, it's being a loving one.

Breakdown of the case:

• Timeline: This case spanned from 2012 to 2017
• Victims: At least 375 known victims nationwide
• Age of victims: Typically between 12 and 15 years old
• Duration of exploitation: Some victims were exploited for up to 4 years
• Perpetrator: One 26-year-old male using hundreds of online aliases
• Charges: 41 allegations including production of child pornography, coercion, and threats to use explosives

References:

DOJ - Child Predator and Cyberterrorist, Buster Hernandez, aka "BrianKil," is Sentenced to 75 years in Federal Prison: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/pr/child-predator-and-cyberterrorist-buster-hernandez-aka-briankil-sentenced-75-years

Justia - USA v. Buster Hernandez, No. 21-1481: https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca7/21-1481/21-1481-2022-08-17.html

IndyStar - Buster Hernandez, aka 'Brian Kil', sentenced in school bombing threats, sextortion case: https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/marion-county/2021/03/12/buster-hernandez-brian-kil-plainfield-indiana-bomb-threat-sentenced/4651858001/

IndyStar - 'Brian Kil' submits guilty plea to sexual extortion, school bomb threats: https://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2020/02/06/brian-kil-submits-guilty-plea-sexual-extortion-school-bomb-threats/4683227002/