Sextortion and Teen Suicide
Seventeen-year-old Jordan DeMay met a pretty girl on Instagram who convinced him to share an explicit photo. After he did, “she” demanded $1,000. Fifteen-year-old Bradyn Bohn connected with someone on Facebook who made him laugh. He too was persuaded to share a private image. The new friend demanded...
AISummary
This article describes sextortion scams where predators pose as attractive peers on social media to manipulate teens into sharing explicit photos, then blackmail them for money with threats to distribute the images publicly. Parents need to understand this serious threat and teach teens about the dangers of sharing intimate images online and recognizing manipulation tactics from unknown contacts.
Seventeen-year-old Jordan DeMay met a pretty girl on Instagram who convinced him to share an explicit photo. After he did, “she” demanded $1,000. Fifteen-year-old Bradyn Bohn connected with someone on Facebook who made him laugh. He too was persuaded to share a private image. The new friend demanded money, or the images would be shared far and wide. Seventeen-year-old Ryan Stuart received a message from someone claiming to be a 20-year-old woman. After an intimate exchange and a shared photo, “s...