The mother of a 14-year-old boy who died by suicide says he was targeted in an online “sextortion” scam.
Parents often worry about their children’s safety online, but it’s impossible to monitor everything. Caleb Morgan’s mother learned this the hardest way.
On June 10, in El Dorado, Kansas, Caleb began chatting with someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl on TikTok, later moving to Snapchat. According to the Daily Mail, the person sent compromising images and convinced Caleb to send photos back. The “girl” then demanded large sums of money, threatening to leak his photos. Caleb’s mother says the scammer made him feel his life was ruined.
Caleb died by suicide at home shortly after. His father broke the news to his mother, who arrived as first responders were trying unsuccessfully to save him.
The reason behind his death became clear only after police examined his phone and found the chats. His mother said the extortion “stole my boy’s happiness and hope in a 35-minute span,” and that Caleb had even sent a photo of a gun in desperation.
The FBI defines “sextortion” as blackmail using sexual images to obtain money, sometimes beginning with a threat from criminals who claim to already have explicit material.