DENVER – The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is sounding the alarm over a surge in financial sextortion schemes that are targeting teenage boys at unprecedented levels, often with devastating consequences.

Callahan Walsh, son of child safety advocates John and Revé Walsh and a key leader at NCMEC, says the surge in cases is unlike anything they’ve seen.

“We saw a massive shift in sextortion after COVID,” Walsh told Fox News Digital. “Teenage boys were now being targeted at a much higher rate for financial gain, often by overseas criminal enterprises.”

These predators often pose as peers on gaming platforms and social media apps, Walsh explained, luring boys into sharing explicit images. The second a photo is sent, the blackmail begins.

People hold pictures of victims during the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing “Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis” in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 31, 2024. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

Still, Patel cautioned that law enforcement alone cannot solve the problem. “That cannot be countermanded by the FBI alone,” he said. “We need help from social media companies. We need help from the private sector and the internet service providers that allow this generative AI to be hosted on their platforms. We have got to get a resolution on that with our partners in Congress, in the private sector.”

Britt pledged to continue working with the FBI and her Senate colleagues to bring an end to sextortion, framing it as a national emergency requiring coordination, urgency, and new tools. 

“What are you doing to protect children and specifically sextortion?” she demanded, underscoring the hearing’s central question.

Walsh, who now co-hosts “America’s Most Wanted” with his father, says the pain of his brother Adam’s loss continues to drive NCMEC’s mission.

Adam Walsh who was kidnapped and killed in Hollywood, Florida. (AP)

“We always said we need to make sure Adam didn’t die in vain. And if his song is to continue that, we must do the singing. We try to do that every day,” Walsh said about keeping his brother’s legacy alive. 

“Adam’s disappearance changed the way we look for and protect children in America,” he continued. “Every child deserves a safe childhood.”

When asked about his goals for the coming years, Walsh smiled and said he hoped to one day be out of a job.

“I would love to say every missing child’s been found. There’s not going to be any more missing children. And we’ve eradicated exploitation online. That’s our goal,” Walsh shared. “We want to put ourselves out of a job. Unfortunately, we’re not there yet, and I don’t know if that’s going to happen in 5 or 10 years, but we’re trying, and we really look towards the tech industry to help us with that.” 

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.