A 17-year-old Michigan boy killed himself after cybercriminals threatened to release an explicit photo if he didn’t send them $1,000.
Jordan DeMay was contacted by someone he believed to be another teen on Twitter. The person claimed she wanted to be his friend and asked for a nude photo. DeMay was skeptical at first, but eventually, he obliged.
The teen sent $300, but the blackmail didn’t end. Instead, the criminals demanded he sends them $1,000.
“They told him they had all of his Facebook contacts, and more from other social media, as well as his nude photo,” said Sheriff Greg Zyburt of the Marquette County Sheriff’s Office to The US Sun.
Despite telling them he couldn’t pay any more, the blackmailers told DeMay they had already sent the picture out.
“He said you win and that he was going to kill himself, and they said go for it,” according to Zyburt.
DeMay committed suicide just six hours after first being contacted. His death is still under investigation, but no suspects have been identified or arrested so far.
Inside Edition reports that DeMay was athlete and homecoming king. He was well-liked by his classmates.
Police released the details surrounding the teen’s death to educate others about the dangers of sextortion.
