Being the victim of a crime can be stressful and sometimes confusing to deal with, but we want to remind you there is help. Please contact the Verona Police Department anytime if you have questions or concerns about a crime you are the victim of. Please see our Victim Information Form for victim rights, contact information, and victim services.
For more information, you can also visit the Dane County Victim Witness Unit website.
VINELink and the Office of Victim Services
VINELink is a free national service that allows crime victims to obtain information about criminal cases and the custody status of offenders 24 hours a day. Also in Wisconsin, crime victims and witnesses have rights providing certain privileges and protections. The Office of Crime Victim Services can help you understand these rights and help you access the services you need.
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Sextortion
Teens face a variety of dangers online, including safety threats from sadistic online exploitation and sextortion. The Wisconsin Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force monitors emerging and evolving online threats and can assist local law enforcement agencies that may receive reports on these types of cases. We also know that prevention is one of our strongest tools for keeping our kids and our communities safe. We hope you will review the information on these threats and consider ways that your law enforcement agency can help raise public awareness.
According to the Online Child Exploitation Prevention Initiative, sadistic online exploitation occurs when offenders target children and persuade, induce, entice, or coerce them into recording themselves engaging in various types of degrading, humiliating, and violent acts.
The Wisconsin ICAC Task Force defines sextortion as a form of sexual exploitation where the offender threatens to release compromising material of the victim unless the victim sends money, gift cards, and/or additional sexual content, or engages in sexual activity. Sextortion is a growing problem right here in Wisconsin and across the country.
Tips for teens who may be victims of sextortion:
- Remember, it’s not your fault.
- It’s never too late to get help. Tell a parent or trusted adult right away.
- Do not pay money or comply with the blackmailer’s requests.
- Report the account through the platform’s safety feature.
- Block the suspect, but do not delete the messages or your profile to preserve potential evidence for law enforcement.
- Report the crime to law enforcement or at cybertipline.com.
