Caleb Moore, a 14-year-old from El Dorado, Kansas, died by suicide after falling victim to an online sextortion scam. His mother, Morgan Moore, said Caleb was tricked into sharing explicit photos with someone he believed was a girl his age. Afterward, the person demanded money and threatened to leak the images.
The conversations began on TikTok and moved to Snapchat, where the exchange turned threatening. “He even sent a photo of the gun,” Morgan said, trying to stop the blackmail. Police later confirmed the timeline, revealing his “happiness and hope [were] destroyed in 35 minutes.”
Morgan believes both platforms should have better protections. TikTok states that users under 16 can’t receive direct messages, while Snapchat promotes its Family Safety Hub and private settings for teens. Still, Morgan said, “It was all so avoidable. The most devastating loss I can imagine is losing one of your kids.”
A GoFundMe has been launched to support Caleb’s family. Morgan hopes her son’s story warns other parents: “These people intentionally manipulate what a 14-year-old boy would be vulnerable about.”
