13-Year-Old Pennsylvania Boy Dies by Suicide Two Days After Creating Instagram Account, Targeted by Sextortionists
Incident Details
Summary
In early 2024, a 13-year-old boy in Pennsylvania created an Instagram account. Within 48 hours, he was contacted by sextortion criminals, manipulated into sending intimate images, and then subjected to relentless threats and demands. He died by suicide within two days of creating the account. His family went public to warn other parents and advocate for stronger age verification. The case exemplified the speed and systematic nature of sextortion operations targeting newly-joined minors and intensified calls for age verification requirements on social media platforms. Meta faced renewed criticism for its inability to prevent predator accounts from immediately contacting minors.
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