Fighting Back Against Online Sexual Exploitation of Children
Social media platforms have failed to protect our children from predators, grooming, and sexual exploitation. The Dominguez Law Firm is here to help Albuquerque families hold these companies accountable and seek justice.
A Growing Epidemic of Online Child Exploitation
The numbers paint a devastating picture. Online sexual exploitation of children is surging, driven by social media platforms that fail to implement adequate safety measures.
Distinct incidents reported to NCMEC CyberTipline in 2024
Increase in grooming and sextortion reports from 2023 to 2024
By ICAC task forces in fiscal year 2024 alone
Images and videos of CSAM processed by NCMEC in 2024
The Numbers Keep Growing
In 2024, NCMEC processed 33.1 million videos and 28.0 million images of child sexual abuse material. Reports of child sex trafficking increased by 55%, reaching over 26,800 reports. Perhaps most alarming, the weaponization of generative AI to create deepfake CSAM surged by 1,325% in a single year.
The FBI and ICAC task forces conducted over 203,000 investigations in fiscal year 2024. Yet despite these efforts, experts warn that the true scope of the crisis is far larger than what is reported, as end-to-end encryption increasingly hides predator activity from detection.
Sources: NCMEC CyberTipline 2024 Report, FBI VCAC Program, DOJ ICAC Task Force Data
The 5 Stages of Online Grooming
Online predators use a calculated, methodical process to manipulate children. Understanding these stages is the first step in protecting your child. Grooming can happen on any platform—Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Discord, Roblox, and even through direct messages on gaming platforms.
Targeting Vulnerable Children
Predators seek out children who appear lonely, insecure, or in need of attention on social media, gaming platforms like Fortnite, and anonymous chat sites. They study profiles to identify vulnerabilities.
Building False Trust
The predator showers the child with attention, compliments, and gifts—like in-game currency or gift cards. They pose as peers, mimic interests, and become a consistent, supportive presence in the child's life.
Isolation & Secrecy
A key goal is isolating the child from family and friends. The predator frames their relationship as a "special bond," encourages secrecy, and moves conversations to private, encrypted messaging apps.
Desensitization
The groomer gradually introduces sexual topics, jokes, and imagery to normalize the behavior and test the child's boundaries, slowly pushing them toward explicit conversations and content.
Exploitation & Control
The predator coerces the child into sending explicit images, engaging in sexual acts on camera, or meeting in person. Blackmail and threats are used to maintain control and demand more abusive material.
Warning Signs Every Parent Must Know
Recognizing the signs of grooming early can save your child. If you notice any of these changes, stay calm, create a safe space for your child to talk, and do not delete any messages—they are crucial evidence.
Behavioral & Emotional Changes
Increased Secrecy
Hiding screens when you enter the room, becoming possessive of devices, refusing to discuss online activities.
Excessive Online Time
Spending significantly more time online, especially at odd hours or late at night.
Withdrawal & Mood Swings
Pulling away from family and friends, quitting activities, unusual sadness, anxiety, or irritability.
Mature Language
Using sexually explicit language or showing a preoccupation with sexual topics that is uncharacteristic for their age.
Unexplained Gifts
Possessing new items, gift cards, or money with no clear explanation of where they came from.
Digital Red Flags on Devices
Hidden or Vault Apps
Apps that disguise themselves as calculators or utilities to hide files, photos, and messages.
Unknown Online Contacts
A new online "friend" who is older or shows an intense, rapid interest in your child.
Multiple Secret Accounts
Creating secondary or secret social media accounts to hide communications from parents.
What To Do If You Suspect Grooming
- 1. Stay calm and do not confront the predator directly.
- 2. Preserve all evidence—screenshots, messages, usernames. Do not delete anything.
- 3. Report to the NCMEC CyberTipline and your local law enforcement.
- 4. Contact the Dominguez Law Firm to understand your family's legal options: 505-850-5854
Is Your Child Being Targeted Online?
Our legal team is ready to help your family. Confidential consultations available.
The Sextortion Crisis Targeting Teens
Financial sextortion—coercing minors into sending explicit images, then demanding money under threat of exposure—has become one of the fastest-growing online threats facing American teenagers.
Financial sextortion reports received by NCMEC daily in 2024
Increase in FBI sextortion reports in just 6 months (2022-2023)
Victims identified by FBI/HSI from Oct 2021 to Mar 2023
Suicides linked to sextortion of minors in that same period
How Sextortion Works
Perpetrators—often part of organized criminal networks operating from West Africa and Southeast Asia—contact teens on social media, posing as attractive peers. They quickly build a relationship and coerce the victim into sharing explicit images or videos.
Once they have compromising material, the blackmail begins. They threaten to share the images with the victim's friends, family, and school unless the teen pays. The demands often escalate, and the psychological toll can be devastating. Boys aged 14–17 are disproportionately targeted.
Social media platforms bear responsibility for enabling these crimes. Despite knowing about the sextortion epidemic, platforms have been slow to implement effective detection tools, age verification, and rapid response systems.
If your child is a victim of sextortion:
- • Reassure them—it is not their fault
- • Do not pay any ransom demands
- • Preserve all evidence and screenshots
- • Report to FBI at tips.fbi.gov
- • Call the Dominguez Law Firm: 505-850-5854
Social Media Companies Knew and Failed to Act
For years, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shielded tech companies from liability. But a new wave of litigation is breaking through by proving these companies didn't just host harmful content—they designed products that actively facilitated harm to children.
Lawsuits consolidated in federal MDL-3047 argue that platforms like Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat are defective products—unreasonably dangerous by design. Recent landmark verdicts prove that families can win against even the largest tech companies.
New Mexico v. Meta — $375 Million
In March 2026, a New Mexico jury delivered a landmark verdict against Meta for violating consumer protection laws. The case, brought by AG Raúl Torrez, proved Meta misled the public about platform safety and enabled widespread child sexual exploitation. A second trial phase will address whether Meta created a public nuisance.
K.G.M. v. Meta — $6 Million
In March 2026, a California jury found Meta and Google (YouTube) liable for designing addictive platforms that harmed a young woman's mental health. This was the first verdict establishing that a social media app can be considered a defective product, opening the door for thousands of similar claims.
Platform-by-Platform Failures
Meta (Facebook & Instagram)
- Internal documents show executives were repeatedly warned about predators targeting minors
- Recommendation algorithms were "really good at connecting" predators with children
- New Mexico's "Operation MetaPhile" revealed fake teen accounts were quickly inundated with predatory contact
- Rather than protecting accounts, Meta sent notifications on how to grow followers and monetize
TikTok
- Algorithm-driven "For You" page exposes children to predatory content and contacts
- Inadequate age verification allows children under 13 to easily create accounts
- Direct messaging features exploited by predators to contact minors
- Named as defendant in federal MDL-3047 and multiple state AG lawsuits
Snapchat
- Disappearing messages feature makes it harder to preserve evidence of grooming
- Location-sharing features (Snap Map) can expose children's whereabouts to strangers
- Inadequate parental controls and safety features for minor users
- Named in multiple lawsuits for facilitating child exploitation
Legal Options for Families
If your child has been harmed by online predators or the addictive design of social media, you have legal options. Recent landmark verdicts prove that families can hold these powerful companies accountable.
Product Liability Claims
Lawsuits arguing that social media platforms are defectively designed products that are unreasonably dangerous to children—the legal theory behind the landmark 2026 verdicts.
Negligence Claims
Holding platforms accountable for failing to implement reasonable safety measures, age verification, and predator detection tools that could have protected your child.
Compensatory Damages
Recovering costs for medical expenses, therapy, counseling, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and lost quality of life resulting from online exploitation.
Punitive Damages
When companies acted with conscious disregard for child safety—as evidence has shown—juries can award punitive damages to punish misconduct and deter future harm.
Consumer Protection Violations
Claims under state consumer protection statutes—like the NM Unfair Practices Act used in the $375M Meta verdict—for misleading families about platform safety.
Free Consultation
The Dominguez Law Firm offers free, confidential consultations for families. Let us evaluate your case and explain your options.
Steps to Take If Your Child Has Been Exploited
Preserve Evidence
Screenshot all messages, profiles, and content. Do not delete anything from devices.
Report to Authorities
File a report with the NCMEC CyberTipline (report.cybertip.org) and local law enforcement.
Seek Support
Connect your child with a trained counselor or therapist who specializes in trauma.
Contact a Lawyer
Call the Dominguez Law Firm at 505-850-5854 for a free case evaluation.
New Mexico Is at the Forefront of Protecting Children
Our state has become a national leader in holding social media companies accountable for enabling child exploitation. The landmark $375 million verdict against Meta sends a powerful message to the entire tech industry.
NM v. Meta: Operation MetaPhile
In December 2023, NM Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed suit after an undercover investigation exposed how Meta's platforms facilitated child exploitation. Agents posing as young girls were immediately targeted by adult predators—and Meta failed to intervene. The March 2026 jury verdict of $375 million proved these weren't just failures—they were choices.
NM Unfair Practices Act
New Mexico's robust consumer protection laws provided the legal framework for the historic Meta verdict. The state proved Meta violated the NM Unfair Practices Act by deceiving consumers about the safety of its platforms for children. A second trial phase will determine whether Meta created a public nuisance, potentially requiring court-ordered platform changes.
ICAC Task Force in New Mexico
New Mexico participates in the national Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force network, with local law enforcement actively investigating online child exploitation cases across the state. Families can report suspected exploitation to both local ICAC units and the NCMEC CyberTipline.
Local Help in Albuquerque
The Dominguez Law Firm is located in the heart of Albuquerque and serves families throughout New Mexico. We understand the unique challenges facing our community and are committed to protecting our children from online predators.
Meet Paul M. Dominguez, Esq.
A fifth-generation New Mexican, trial attorney, and dedicated advocate for families fighting against corporate negligence and injustice.
Paul M. Dominguez
Managing Partner
J.D., University of New Mexico School of Law
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, and raised in a small town in New Mexico, Paul Dominguez has deep roots in the Southwest. As a fifth-generation New Mexican, he is deeply rooted in the values of family, community, and justice. His upbringing shaped his work ethic, sense of community, and his drive to help others — values that define his legal practice today.
As a trial lawyer, Paul thrives on the challenges of the courtroom. Known for securing substantial monetary results for his clients, he has achieved significant outcomes in catastrophic auto and trucking accidents, wrongful death cases, medical malpractice, bad faith insurance claims, class actions, and mass tort litigation against Big Pharma and other institutional corporate wrongdoers.
What sets Paul apart is his commitment to working on contingency cases, where the interests of attorney and client are fully aligned. “The more money I can make for my clients, the more successful I am,” he says. He takes pride in holding corporations accountable, working to raise safety standards and make communities safer — whether in the courtroom or standing up against tech companies that have failed to protect our children.
Bar Admissions
- State of New Mexico
- U.S. District Court, District of NM
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit
- State of Texas
Education
- J.D. — University of New Mexico School of Law (2009)
- B.S. Economics & English — University of Houston
Professional Memberships
- State Bar of New Mexico
- Albuquerque Bar Association
- NM Trial Lawyer's Association
- American Association of Justice
Areas of Practice
- Personal Injury & Wrongful Death
- Medical Malpractice
- Class Action / Mass Torts
- Bad Faith Insurance
What Clients Say
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