High school senior James Woods was obsessed with comics. He could quote every episode of “The Flash,” idolized the superhero Green Arrow and often sported a Naruto-inspired headband he insisted helped him run faster in track meets. He looked forward all year to a trip his family and friends planned for the Dream Con comic book convention the following summer.
Three months into the school year, just before Thanksgiving, the 17-year-old died by suicide. His parents were shocked, grieving and baffled. James, who lived in Streetsboro, Ohio, had not struggled with mental health, they said.
When police looked through James’ phone, they discovered he had fallen victim to financial sextortion, a crime that occurs when a predator threatens to distribute private material or harm a victim if they don’t comply with the predator’s financial demands. The scam is the fastest-growing cybercrime targeting children in North America and most commonly exploits young men, particularly boys ages 13 to 17.
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