©️ By Sophie Lewis | @sophielewiseditorial

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He’s never met her.
Never touched her.
Never left his room.

But he knows her name, her school, her secrets, her fears.
And he’s got the photos to prove it.

This is the Cyber Predator — the abuser who harms without proximity.
He grooms, manipulates, blackmails, and dehumanises from behind a screen.
And his victims are everywhere.

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Digital Doesn’t Mean Less Dangerous

The Cyber Predator:

• Pretends to be a teen to gain trust
• Coerces explicit photos and videos
• Threatens to share them with friends, family, or online
• Demands more — always more
• Might livestream the abuse to others, without the victim even knowing

This is not “online flirting gone wrong.”
This is psychological rape, often followed by digital hostage-taking.

And for the victim, the trauma is just as real.

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Sextortion Is the New Playground for Predators

Cyber Predators use fear as their main weapon:

“Send me more or I’ll post this.”
“I’ll ruin your life.”
“No one will believe you.”
“You’re already ruined — what’s one more?”

Some victims are as young as 8.
Some end their lives before anyone finds out.

And the predator?
He’s still on his phone, searching for the next target.

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The Cycle: Grooming → Capturing → Controlling

Cyber Predators often follow a clear pattern:

1. Approach – Friendly, flirty, believable (or sometimes posing as someone known)
2. Groom – Emotional connection, flattery, secrets
3. Capture – Coerce explicit content
4. Trap – Use fear to keep it going
5. Expand – Demand more content, add other predators, or escalate

Victims feel like they’re in too deep to get out.
That’s not consent. That’s digital entrapment.

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“But He Never Touched Her” — The Most Dangerous Sentence of All

Many Cyber Predators are overlooked or downplayed by systems that still equate harm with physical presence.

But:

• Trauma doesn’t require touch.
• Suicides have occurred from digital-only abuse.
• Images can haunt survivors for years — traded, leaked, revived.

The internet doesn’t forget.
And neither do victims.

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He’s Not a Stranger in the Alley. He’s on Snapchat. Right Now.

Cyber Predators are:

• On TikTok and Discord
• In gaming servers and Instagram DMs
• Using AI filters and deepfakes
• Masking location with VPNs
• Disguising as friends, crushes, or “supportive adults”

Some operate alone.
Others are part of forums that encourage, share, and reward abuse.

And many never get caught — because the law moves slower than Wi-Fi.

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Cyber Abuse Is Real Abuse

Victims of online sexual harm often struggle to be believed or supported — especially when:

• They sent the first photo
• They never told anyone until after the threats
• They “went back” to the predator under pressure
• They’re still a child navigating trauma alone

But predators know exactly how to manipulate shame.
And shame keeps silence alive.

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It Ends with Exposure, Arrest — or Suicide.

Cyber Predators don’t need to touch you to destroy your life.
They just need access — and the silence of others.

This is not less serious. It’s less visible.
And that’s exactly why it keeps happening.

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