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France 24
2 days ago
- France 24
Violent videos draw more French teens into 'terror' plots, say prosecutors
French prosecutors are alarmed at an increasing number of young teenage boys seemingly plotting "terror" attacks, and say they all share an addiction to violent videos online. As communities worldwide worry about boys being exposed to toxic and misogynistic influences on social media, French magistrates say they are looking into what draws young teens into "terrorism". "Just a few years ago, there were just a handful of minors charged with terror offences," France's National Anti-Terror Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) said. "But we had 15 in 2013, 18 in 2024 and we already had 11 by July 1" this year. They are aged 13 to 18 and hail from all over France, the PNAT said. Lawyers and magistrates told AFP these teens are usually boys with no delinquent past, many of whom are introverts or have had family trouble. The PNAT opened a special branch in May to better examine the profiles of minors drawn into "terrorism", but it said it has already noticed they are all "great users of social media". "Most are fans of ultra-violent, war or pornographic content," it said. In France, "terrorism" is largely synonymous with extremist Islamist ideas such as those of the Islamic State jihadist group. Only in recent months has the PNAT taken on cases different in nature -- one an adult suspected of a racist far-right killing, and the other an 18-year-old charged with developing a misogynist plot to kill women. A 14-year-old schoolboy who stabbed to death a teaching assistant in June was a fan of "violent video games", although his case was not deemed "terrorist" in nature. 'Proving themselves as men' In the case of France's youngest "terror" suspects, a judicial source told AFP, social media provides them with a flow of violent videos that are "not necessarily linked to terrorism", such as from Latin American cartels. "They think they're proving themselves as men by watching them," the source said. Sociologist Farhad Khosrokhavar said the teens were "neither children nor adults". This "leads them to violence in order to be recognised as adults -- even if it's a negative adult," he said. Laurene Renaut, a researcher looking into jihadist circles online, said social media algorithms could suck adolescents in fast. "In less that three hours on TikTok, you can find yourself in an algorithm bubble dedicated to the Islamic State" group, she said. You can be bathing in "war chants, decapitations, AI reconstructions of glorious (according to IS) past actions or even simulations of actions to come," she said. The algorithms feed users "melancholic" content to boost their "feeling of loneliness, with ravaged landscapes, supposed to reflect the soul," she said. 'Injustice' One such teenager said he was motivated by a sense of "injustice" after seeing a video online of an attack on a mosque in New Zealand. White supremacist Brenton Tarrant went on a rampage, killing 51 worshippers at mosques around Christchurch in March 2019 in the country's deadliest modern-day mass shooting. The French suspect was convicted last year for planning "terror" attacks on far-right bars. He told investigators it started when he was 13 and playing Minecraft, a video game, on gamer social media platform Discord. "Someone sent Tarrant's video," he said. "I thought it was unjust to see the men, women and children be massacred." "I then watched the videos of imams telling people to stay calm and those of terrorists from the far right, and I thought it was unjust," he added. "Then I saw those of jihadists urging help," he said. "I thought that by defending this cause, my life would make sense." A French appeals court in July 2024 sentenced him to four years in jail, including two suspended, after he contacted an undercover agent to find out about weapons. The court justified the sentence with the "gravity" of his planned actions, but noted he lacked signs of "deeply rooted ideological radicalisation". Rather, it said, the defendant was the child of fighting parents from a very violent neighbourhood, who had been "significantly deprived of affection" and had sought to "fit in" with internet users. His lawyer Jean-Baptiste Riolacci told AFP he was an "essentially lonely, sad and good kid, whose only occupation beyond his computer was gliding around on his scooter". 'Guesswork' The judicial source, who spoke anonymously due to the sensitivity of the issue, said the French system favoured early intervention through charging youth for associating with "terrorist" criminals, and then adapting their punishment according to the severity of the accusations. But attorney Pierre-Henri Baert, who defended another teenager, said the system did not work. His client was handed three years behind bars in May for sharing an IS propaganda post calling for attacks against Jewish people as a 16-year-old. "It's a very harsh sentence considering his very young age, the fact he had no (criminal) record, and was really in the end just accused of statements online," he said. Another lawyer, who worked on similar cases but asked to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the issue, agreed. "When the judiciary goes after people for terrorist criminal association, it's basically doing guesswork," she said, adding that the "terrorist" label could be very stigmatising. "There's no differentiation between a kid who sent aggressive messages and a suspect who actually bought weapons," she added. 'Fantasizing about jihadism' Two judicial sources said teens prosecuted for alleged "terrorism" are usually only spotted through their behaviour on social media. They are then charged over other actions, such as moving to an encrypted messaging app, sharing recipes to make explosives or looking for funding, the sources said. A Paris court will in September try three teenagers who, aged 14 and 15, allegedly planned to blow up a truck outside the Israeli embassy in Belgium. They had been spotted at high school for their "radical remarks", but were then found in a park with "bottles of hydrochloric acid" containing "aluminium foil", a homemade type of explosive, the PNAT said. Their telephones showed they had watched videos of massacres. Jennifer Cambla, a lawyer who represents one of the defendants, said accusations against her client were disproportionate. "My client may have had the behaviour of a radicalised person by consulting jihadist websites, which is forbidden. But he is far from having plotted an attack," she said. But another lawyer, speaking anonymously, said arresting teenagers "fantasizing about jihadism" could be an opportunity to turn their lives around -- even if it involved "a monstruous shock". "The arrests are tough," with specialised forces in ski masks pulling sacks over the suspect's head, they said. But "as minors, they are followed closely, they see therapists. They are not allowed on social media, and they do sport again," the lawyer said. One of the judicial sources warned it was not clear that this worked. It "makes it look like they are being rapidly deradicalised, but we do not know if these youth could again be drawn in by extremist ideas," they said.
Forbes
19-06-2025
- Forbes
Digital Blackmail Is Targeting Young Men More Than Ever. Are You Prepared?
One of the most pervasive yet overlooked forms of digital blackmail that targets teen boys ranging from 14-17 years of age is sextortion. Internet scams have come a long way from emails of pseudo-princes asking for money. One of the most pervasive yet overlooked online scams that targets teen boys ranging from 14-17 years of age is sextortion. Run by a network of BM Boys (the BM is short for blackmail), unsuspecting teens are lured into connecting with what looks like a pretty girl on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. Before long, these naive youngsters are conned into sharing compromising photos of themselves, which are in turn used to blackmail these boys. According to a recent tally of 'private cases and the latest FBI numbers', at least 30 teenage boys have died from suicide as a result of sextortion attempts. After South Carolina Rep. Brandon Guffey lost his 17-year-old son to suicide from sextortion, he was able to work with the FBI to get the criminal extradited to the United States to face charges. While nothing can bring Guffey's son back, they could at least prevent the same extortionist from causing harm to others with a sentence of 30 years to life if convicted. Part of the reason teen boys are being targeted is because 7.5 percent of them don't realize what sextortion is in the first place, according to a new study from the National Crime Agency in the UK. It's really important that teens realize their parents are a safe place for them to go to if they are contacted by such criminals. It's even more important that parents educate themselves and their children. Although such conversations can be awkward, knowing that the potential of leaked images isn't the end of the world is an important start. On April 28, 2025, Congress passed the TAKE IT DOWN Act, which criminalizes the sharing or threatening of sharing of non-consensual intimate images. While this is a good first step, it's important for victims to know how to protect themselves. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has some good pointers to keep in mind: 'the blackmailer is to blame, not you' and 'report the account via the platform's safety feature.' These tips may seem obvious, but it's important to always begin with these first steps. Although it can be difficult to remember in the midst of a bad situation, it's imperative not to pay requested funds. Michigan State University's Police and Public Safety page advises victims that paying money, no matter how small the amount, will 'likely increase the threats and extortion efforts of the person attempting to receive money.' Take some deep breaths, don't make rash decisions, and report cyber crimes directly to the proper authorities. Victim Support reminds users that they can make their accounts private to limit who can see them in the first place. By default, a lot of social media sites have privacy settings turned off. It's safer to turn them on and limit your online presence to people you actually know instead of the public at large. If you need a broader education on sextortion, social media companies like Meta and Snap have some good articles on the topic. The more you stay informed, the more you can inform others. What's obvious information for some may be a surprise to others. By declining suspicious messages, refusing to make payments, and being upfront with family about any sextortion attempts, teens can be better armed and forewarned if they become a target.
