A grieving mother says her 14-year-old son, Caleb Morgan of Kansas, was the victim of an online “sextortion” scam before he died by suicide.
According to his mother, Caleb began chatting with someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl on TikTok before moving the conversation to Snapchat. After exchanging photos, the person allegedly threatened to release Caleb’s private images unless he paid money.
Police later reviewed Caleb’s phone and discovered the messages, which his mother said showed how quickly the scam devastated him. Investigators believe the threats left Caleb feeling hopeless and overwhelmed.
The FBI warns that sextortion scams involve criminals using explicit images to blackmail victims for money or additional content, often targeting young people online.