12-year-old victim of sextortion dies by suicide in BC

Editor’s note: This article mentions and discusses suicide

A 12-year-old boy who died by suicide in Northern BC was the victim of online sextortion, police have revealed.

The boy was found suffering from a gunshot wound on October 12 inside a Prince George home. Now, Mounties say their investigation has revealed the boy was dealing with a sextortion struggle, where a perpetrator extorts money or sexually explicit images using threats.

Police believe the boy took his own life in response to the sextortion ordeal.

Now, Mounties are calling on parents to discuss the issue with kids and assure them help is available.

“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 know in real life,” Cpl. Jennifer Cooper said in a news release.

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Sextortion scams are on the rise, according to police, and are increasingly targeting boys and men as well as women and girls.

BC teens have been fighting adults trying to extort sexually explicit images from them for more than a decade. In BC’s most-publicized case, 15-year-old Amanda Todd took her own life after dealing with sextortion and cyberbullying by a man on the other side of the world who threatened to release intimate photos of her. More than a decade later, her assailant has been convicted and sentenced.

Police urge anyone who’s a victim of sextortion to stop communication with the person immediately. Don’t give in to their demands, deactivate the accounts you’ve used to communicate with them, and reach out for help and report the harassment to police.

Police have yet to identify a suspect in connection with the 12-year-old Prince George boy’s death.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can speak to:

Crisis Services Canada 1-833-456-4566 or text 45645
Crisis Line Association of BC 310-6789 (no area code)
1-800-SUICIDE (in BC)
For more resources, visit the CMHA site