New 50-minute special examines four cases in which children died by suicide after being targeted by online sextortion schemes; TruBlu is offering the film free of charge to any network, platform or institution, and free to stream with no membership required at www.watchtrublu.com

CLEVELAND, Aug. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- TruBlu, the true crime streaming network, and veteran investigative journalist Chris Hansen will release "Sextortion: A Chris Hansen Investigation," a 50-minute documentary special examining the rapidly growing epidemic of online sextortion targeting children on August 21st. The film focuses on four cases in which the victims died by suicide after being manipulated, threatened and blackmailed by online predators.

The documentary is available August 21st, free of charge and with no membership required, on the TruBlu Streaming App at www.watchtrublu.com. TruBlu is also making the special free to distribute in its entirety to any television network, streaming platform, school district or other institution that wishes to air it, waiving all licensing fees so the film can reach the widest possible audience.

"The purpose of this special is to get it in front of as many kids and parents as possible before another family gets the call no parent should ever get," said Chris Hansen, investigative journalist and co-founder of TruBlu.

The documentary is the product of more than two years of work.

A Crisis Growing Faster Than Awareness

Sextortion occurs when an offender threatens to release a child's real or fabricated sexual images unless the child provides more explicit content, sexual activity or money. According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), the crisis has escalated sharply in recent years:

• NCMEC's CyberTipline received more than 1.4 million reports of online enticement of children in 2025 — a 158% increase over 2024 — including more than 80,000 reports specifically involving sextortion (NCMEC).
• In 2025, NCMEC received an average of 137 reports of financial sextortion every day, a 37% increase in daily reports compared to the year before (NCMEC).
  
  
• NCMEC is aware of at least three dozen teenage boys in the United States who have died by suicide after being victimized by financial sextortion since 2021, with teen boys identified as the most common targets (NCMEC).
  
  
• When the relationship to the victim is known, 94% of public sextortion reports come directly from the child victim or their parent, most often submitted by the children themselves (NCMEC).
  
  
• Reports of online enticement to NCMEC's CyberTipline overall rose 192% from 2023 to 2024 alone, reflecting an accelerating pattern that has continued through 2025 (The Guardian).

"Sextortion: A Chris Hansen Investigation" follows four families through the aftermath of losing a child to this crime, tracing how offenders — often operating from overseas criminal networks — identify, manipulate and threaten victims within a matter of hours, and what parents, schools and platforms can do to intervene before it's too late.

Links to video excerpts (all rights waived, worldwide):
Jordan DeMay: https://vimeo.com/1219665566
Ryan Last: https://vimeo.com/1219666415
Gavin Guffey: https://vimeo.com/1219666857
James Woods: https://vimeo.com/1219666635

About Chris Hansen

Chris Hansen is an Emmy Award-winning investigative journalist, and creator of NBC Dateline's "To Catch a Predator" (2004–2007), a hidden-camera investigative series that exposed adults attempting to meet minors for sex and helped make online child safety a mainstream public concern.

Hansen began his career as a local television reporter before joining NBC News in 1993 as a correspondent for Dateline NBC. Over his network career, Hansen reported on major national stories including the Columbine High School massacre, the Oklahoma City bombing, the Unabomber case and the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Hansen has received ten Emmy Awards, five Edward R. Murrow Awards, three Clarion Awards, the National Press Club award, and honors for excellence from the Associated Press and United Press International. After leaving NBC, he continued his investigative work through "Crime Watch Daily," "Hansen vs. Predator," and the podcasts "Predators I've Caught" and "Have a Seat with Chris Hansen." In 2020, Hansen co-founded TruBlu, launching the network's streaming platform in 2022, where he produces and hosts "Takedown with Chris Hansen" and the "Dangerous Games" investigative series examining child-safety failures on platforms including Roblox and Discord. Across two decades of sting operations, Hansen's investigations have contributed to more than 500 arrests of would-be sex offenders (TruBlu).

About TruBlu

TruBlu is a true crime and investigative streaming network spearheaded by Chris Hansen, offering original crime, investigation and documentary programming, including "Takedown with Chris Hansen" and "Dangerous Games." TruBlu content is available on the TruBlu Streaming App at www.watchtrublu.com, as well as on Roku, Amazon Fire TV and other connected-TV platforms

Distribution and Viewing Information

• Title: Sextortion: A Chris Hansen Investigation
  
  
• Run time: 50 minutes
  
  
• Premiere: August 21, 2026
  
  
• Where to watch: Free, no membership required, on the TruBlu Streaming App at www.watchtrublu.com
  
  
• Distribution: TruBlu is making the documentary available at no cost to any television network, streaming platform, school district or other institution that wishes to air it as part of its child-safety and awareness efforts. Interested organizations should contact TruBlu directly.

Resources for Families

Families or children affected by sextortion or online exploitation can report incidents to NCMEC's CyberTipline at CyberTipline.org or use NCMEC's Take It Down tool to help remove explicit images from the internet. Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Media Contact

Shawn Rech
shawn.rech@watchtrublu.com
440-864-5882
Cleveland, OH

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SOURCE TruBlu Factual Streaming Network