Source: foxnews.com 5/26/24 A South Carolina mother is suing Snapchat after her 13-year-old son died by suicide last year. The family says young Timothy Barnett took his own life April 6, 2023, at his Sumter home after he fell victim to a sextortion scheme on the social media app. “On April 6 … it was a typical morning,” Betsy Hauptman, Timothy’s mother, told Fox News Digital. “My husband and I were waking up. The alarm went off at about 6:15. My husband got up first. He walked out the door.…
Read MoreTag: Sextortion Sexual Extortion Crimes
Sextortion: A Growing Crime Against Men
Source: psychologytoday.com 12/30/23 Men are being targeted for sextortion at increased rates in the U.S. and beyond. Key points Sextortion is a form of image-based sexual abuse that is growing nationwide. During COVID-19, men experienced higher rates of sextortion than women. Sextortion has negative psychological, physical, and social consequences for victims. “And then all of a sudden I got messages late at night with all sorts of threats” said Alex. “Um, things about sharing [intimate] photos about the things we had. And threatening me.” Alex continued “Depression set in. I…
Read MoreAL: Warning from father of teen who took his own life after being sextorted online
Source: wbrc.com 10/4/23 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – A grieving dad is hoping the story of his son’s loss and traumatic last few hours can be a warning to us as parents of teens, and prevent another tragedy like the one his family is now enduring. “Coming up on that one-year anniversary, it’s another day, that’s all it is, another day, but that day will be difficult, it will be hard,” says Brian Montgomery, a father whose life changed completely, and with no warning, one year ago. “It was a normal…
Read MoreCanada: Police link suicide of 12-year-old Prince George, B.C., boy to online sexual extortion
Source: cbc.ca 11/27/23 Police in Prince George, B.C., are warning about the dangers of sexual extortion after the suicide of a 12-year-old boy in their community. The preteen took his own life on Oct. 12 and investigators have since determined his actions were in response to online sextortion, according to an RCMP news release. Police are still working to identify a suspect. “We are calling for parents and caregivers to be honest with their youth about the dangers of online activity, especially if they are engaging in chats with people they don’t…
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