Parents, we have our work cut out for us. Our children need us. And those of you who, by choice or otherwise, are not parents, are not exempt.Sextortion may not be a real word but it is a very real threat. By way of explanation, sextortion entails hacking into someone's computer to steal a sexy picture or video or to take over a webcam. The explicit images are then used to extort victims for more content.It is even more common for perpetrators to resort to social media to elicit a photograph from a victim, then use it to demand more pictures. An in-depth study done by a US think-tank, the Brookings Institute, said most victims of sextortion were minors. The predators were almost always men who preyed on multiple targets, and almost all adult victims were women. Most victims chose to stay anonymous, out of shame, the study said.A separate UN-backed report, also released yesterday, found that technology is transforming the global sex trade and making it easier than ever for sex pests to prey on children.Researchers say the spread of communications technology is facilitating abuse at every step - by helping offenders groom and procure children on the internet.South Africa is no exception. In one case a 16-year-old Cape Town girl's phone was hacked through her Facebook account and five naked photographs of her were stolen. The perpetrator, who has since been arrested, threatened to send the images to all her friends if she did not send him more explicit pictures.It's just one example. Until we succeed in stopping these sextortionists we need to be vigilant - monitoring our children's online activity, creating an environment in which they feel safe enough to tell us they are being blackmailed and solicited. We must put in place firewalls that make it harder for these vultures to hack devices.Don't expect to be the cool parent - and expect fights. But we're willing to accept it if it will keep our children safe. Are you?..