A man in Quebec, Canada, has been sentenced after using Snapchat to lure and blackmail minors into sexual assault, according to police reports released this week. The case highlights growing concerns about the platform’s vulnerability to predators and the challenges law enforcement face in tracking online exploitation.
Quebec police initiated a public appeal for information in January 2025, seeking victims of the individual who allegedly used Snapchat to approach young people. The investigation revealed a pattern of coercion involving threats to disseminate compromising images, ultimately leading to sexual encounters. Details of the sentencing were reported in January 2025, with authorities continuing to investigate potential additional victims.
The case is not isolated. In September 2024, a court in northern France sentenced multiple men to prison terms for sexual aggression against a minor they had met on Snapchat and the online dating site Coco, described by prosecutors as a platform “known for facilitating sexual relationships between adults and minors.” The sentences ranged up to 30 months imprisonment, with all defendants receiving mandatory psychological treatment, a five-year ban on working with minors and placement on the registry of sex offenders.
Concerns about Snapchat’s safety features have been escalating. A complaint filed by the state of New Mexico in the United States in September 2023 detailed accusations of the platform’s inaction regarding widespread sexual exploitation and manipulation of young users. The complaint alleges that Snapchat’s features, including the Snap Map, facilitate the identification and location of minors by adults. The tool’s ability to recommend friends was also cited as a means for predators to connect with underage users, with one instance detailed in the complaint involving a man who allegedly used the feature to lure and sexually assault an 11-year-aged girl.
The ephemeral nature of Snapchat messages – designed to disappear after viewing – is also identified as a contributing factor, creating a false sense of security that predators exploit to solicit explicit images. In a separate case in Switzerland, an adolescent accused of sexual assault was found to have received advice on the platform regarding his actions.
The New Mexico complaint, made public after being initially sealed, accuses Snapchat of failing to adequately protect its young users. The allegations are currently being litigated.
