Michigan Family Speaks Out After Teen Son Targeted by Sextortion

A West Michigan family is reeling from the death of their 14-year-old son, who died by suicide last summer after he was the victim of a sextortion scam.

The family says Henry was a 'kind-hearted, charismatic' boy whose whole life was in front of him. At just 14, he had begun working his first job as a caddy and a dishwasher. He played soccer, basketball, and ran track.

But his life was cut short.

Henry Died by Suicide Just Before Starting High School

His family, who has chosen not to use their last name, spoke to WZZM-TV in Grand Rapids through their lawyer, attorney Marc Lipton.

Investigators say another teenage boy in Kent County used stolen photos to pose as a young woman, then coerced Henry to send inappropriate photos of himself. The perpetrator threatened Henry, saying he would distribute the photo unless Henry sent even more photos.

Liptson says Henry reached out to a friend, saying his life had been ruined and that he was going to be in trouble.

The friend reported the situation to his mother, prompting a wellness check from police.

"The police came to do a wellness check, and in the course of the wellness check, as Henry saw the police outside his door, he thought he was in trouble, and he took his own life," Lipton tells the TV station. "That's not to blame Henry or his own parents, or the friend's parents, everyone [did] all they could to protect them."

Kent County Teen Charged

After Henry's death, the Kent County teen who made the threats was charged with six felony counts and pleaded guilty to victimizing 17 children in Michigan and other states.

A spokesman from the Kent County Sheriff's Department says the majority of sextortion victims are males between 12 and 17 years old.

Henry's Parents Offer Advice for Other Parents and Victims

"The most important takeaway we want other kids in our community to know is that sending inappropriate pics is a bad decision, but if someone threatens to spread your photo(s), they are committing a CRIME and you deserve to be protected. If someone is trying to control and humiliate you because of your photos, please reach out for help," they said.

The Detroit division of the FBI recently held an educational webinar addressing sextortion. Video of that webinar is here.