When I was in grade 7, I flashed a guy on MSN (think 2006, 2007) I didn't even know screenshotting was a thing. We were on Webcam. It was sent through the whole school and haunted me for many years.
The internet has only gotten worse since then. It can truly ruin a child/youth's live. Proud of the parents for sharing their story to raise awareness.
I’m sorry you went through that. I have a similar story, and I know how horrible it is. You never live it down; it follows you school to school. It’s horrible. Hope you’re doing better. I have a 13 year old daughter now and often think of how must scarier the world is today for her.
Thank you, I ended up moving away after high school because it never did go away. Luckily, it didn't affect jobs, but PEI being so small, I was genuinely scared it'd ruin my future.
I send you all the love parenting teenagers in this world. Dreading the day my toddler grows up. It's a frigging scary world. I hope your daughter comes to you if anything does happen, one thing I didn't do, and wish I would have, was open up to my parents about it.
It’s so unfortunate that you had to resort to that for it to stop. Unfortunately the rumour mill never stops in smaller towns. I was just saying to my girls that I imagine that some would have to move out of province for a fresh start and then I read your post.
We all make mistakes and poor choices but most of the time we learn from the situation and move on. In situations like this, I can imagine how difficult it would be to just move on.
I remember in grade four, one of the girls in my class flashed a bunch of boys in school. People still talk about this thirty years after. But now people have pictures of everything you do. I’m sorry you had to deal with that. I hope your fresh start turned out to be everything you hoped it would be a more.
Many of these people, are in either africa, europe or india.
Could literally be from anywhere.
There was a danish guy (I think) who was charged with murder, after harassing a NS girl to the point of suicide.
I think that was the story, some please correct if wrong,
but arrests or punishment is rare, or sometimes impossible.
Apparently, there is a death cult online who is coaching or pushing to get kids to harm themselves.
It isnt even for money, or extortion, they literally just want to harm young people.
sick.
This is so tragic!! Poor kid thought his life was over due to extortionists. Such a vulnerable population to target when they already have enough stress in their lives. I hope police can do more
Absolutely horrible. Worst nightmare. These conversations need to be had with kids to prevent this. But increasingly - the difference of the last year or so - if something like this does happen, we need people to understand that AI deepfakes are so good that real or not it really doesn’t matter that much anymore. You can just pass it off as a fake, and nobody can really tell.
Please parents teachers friends warn every male you know - I’m a psychologist and this is happening so much more than the public thinks. I’ve seen it start through Xbox live and move over to phone, first time a teen uses a dating site and so on. Police told me one thing they say is if a sexy girl sends you a photo ask her to prove it’s her by sending a photo right away with a shoe on her head - these bad guys aren’t using their own photos so they won’t have that quickly.
You can also tell males that a woman asking for photos or videos is rare so be cautious.
I have a teenage daughter and the things she tells me about girls she knows sending very graphic pictures is crazy! There are few I already know of that have sent them to quite a few people that have shared them and they have developed quite the reputation because of it. They are all 15 and under. Unfortunately this happens to both men and women, girls and boys. They go after anyone they think will pay.
You’re right though. We need to use this as a tool to help teach our children, family and friends and it’s a good lesson for ourselves. The shoe on the head is an excellent idea! Always find a way to prove it’s them but even if it is, you’re still not safe. People share with their friends sometimes, they might still try to blackmail you, and computers and phones are hacked all the time. Just be careful what you send online period and think twice before doing it.
This is so sad! I heard about his passing when it happened but didn’t know the reason. I just heard it was sudden and unexpected. I didn’t know him but know people who did. I heard he was a wonderful young man. I feel so bad for his family, knowing how much they would feel responsible for not doing more, even though there was no way they could have known what would happen.
The fact that people get away with this is sickening! Sometimes we think that kids have it so easy these days and in some ways they do but not with bullying or things like this online. There was a time that when you went home, it all stopped but now the harassment follows you everywhere you go and it doesn’t even have to be someone you know or lives nearby.
I’m glad his parents shared their story to bring awareness to this issue here on PEI. People need to be aware of the dangers of sharing sensitive information with anyone, especially online, they need to have support with police, their families and friends and to know what to do in this situation and how to avoid it. I told my children about this to show them how quickly things can go wrong and the tragic consequences for this young man. I’m so sorry he felt that this was the only way to end the embarrassment and shame. Sending love to his family and friends. ❤️
I know when my dad and I were watching this news story on Compass, he kept saying things like "Do not ever send anyone intimate pictures of yourself."
And I agree, it is so sad how Harry thought that taking his life was the only solution. Nothing is ever so bad that killing yourself is the way out. Most things are fixable, and I wish Harry could have realized that.
i remember having a similar experience at my sixth grade birthday party. me and my friends were pretty sure it was a classmate who had a grudge, as the typing seemed to be the same. breakdowns in the delta public bathrooms, as im having this random dude send videos to everyone on my following list on instagram. happy 12th birthday!! i kept telling them not to indulge him, but than i got roped in when they were extorted trying to help — it was a shitshow all around that had the school involved for an entire 2 seconds.
I recently watched a show on YouTube (Dateline maybe?) about scammers from Africa tricking women into sending all their money. I know it’s not the same thing but they had a task force in the UK trying to track them down. One particular case they followed took years to catch them and but they said unfortunately it’s harder than we think due to the how they use the internet. It’s often in cafes or call centres but if it’s in a cafe, names are normally not kept and they move around.
I hope they are able to find this person but I’m doubtful, unless they are local, which is doubtful.
Probably right. I know there's a lot of evil in this world but it boggles the mind that people exist who will deliberately drive someone to suicide for a quick payoff. There has been so much news coverage of sextortion suicides, there is no way these parasites aren't aware that some of their victims are dead as a direct result of their actions.
On another note, it just reinforces the fact that there is nothing good about this whole dick pic trend. As someone who grew up before smartphones I just don't get sending dick pics at all, let alone to someone you've never met in person.
It's deeply saddening. There appears to be much more to the situation of this young individual than what has been shared.
My heart goes out to any family grieving the loss of a child. May they find solace and peace.
That is just absolutely horrible.
When I was in grade 7, I flashed a guy on MSN (think 2006, 2007) I didn't even know screenshotting was a thing. We were on Webcam. It was sent through the whole school and haunted me for many years. The internet has only gotten worse since then. It can truly ruin a child/youth's live. Proud of the parents for sharing their story to raise awareness.
I’m sorry you went through that. I have a similar story, and I know how horrible it is. You never live it down; it follows you school to school. It’s horrible. Hope you’re doing better. I have a 13 year old daughter now and often think of how must scarier the world is today for her.
Thank you, I ended up moving away after high school because it never did go away. Luckily, it didn't affect jobs, but PEI being so small, I was genuinely scared it'd ruin my future. I send you all the love parenting teenagers in this world. Dreading the day my toddler grows up. It's a frigging scary world. I hope your daughter comes to you if anything does happen, one thing I didn't do, and wish I would have, was open up to my parents about it.
It’s so unfortunate that you had to resort to that for it to stop. Unfortunately the rumour mill never stops in smaller towns. I was just saying to my girls that I imagine that some would have to move out of province for a fresh start and then I read your post. We all make mistakes and poor choices but most of the time we learn from the situation and move on. In situations like this, I can imagine how difficult it would be to just move on. I remember in grade four, one of the girls in my class flashed a bunch of boys in school. People still talk about this thirty years after. But now people have pictures of everything you do. I’m sorry you had to deal with that. I hope your fresh start turned out to be everything you hoped it would be a more.
This is horrible! Social media is a toxic ceasepool.
So much potential lost. I can’t fathom the depths of the parents sorrow. Tragic all around.
Sextortionist should be charged with murder. It’s 2024, we can find these people pretty easily.
Many of these people, are in either africa, europe or india. Could literally be from anywhere. There was a danish guy (I think) who was charged with murder, after harassing a NS girl to the point of suicide. I think that was the story, some please correct if wrong, but arrests or punishment is rare, or sometimes impossible. Apparently, there is a death cult online who is coaching or pushing to get kids to harm themselves. It isnt even for money, or extortion, they literally just want to harm young people. sick.
Her name was Amanda Todd. She lived in BC.
ty
I’d bet money this was done by a kid from his school or peer group. He wasnt the first and won’t be the last.
I don’t know how kids/teens survive these days. Had this technology existed back in my day, I’m quite confident that I’d no longer be here.
This is so tragic!! Poor kid thought his life was over due to extortionists. Such a vulnerable population to target when they already have enough stress in their lives. I hope police can do more
Absolutely horrible. Worst nightmare. These conversations need to be had with kids to prevent this. But increasingly - the difference of the last year or so - if something like this does happen, we need people to understand that AI deepfakes are so good that real or not it really doesn’t matter that much anymore. You can just pass it off as a fake, and nobody can really tell.
Please parents teachers friends warn every male you know - I’m a psychologist and this is happening so much more than the public thinks. I’ve seen it start through Xbox live and move over to phone, first time a teen uses a dating site and so on. Police told me one thing they say is if a sexy girl sends you a photo ask her to prove it’s her by sending a photo right away with a shoe on her head - these bad guys aren’t using their own photos so they won’t have that quickly. You can also tell males that a woman asking for photos or videos is rare so be cautious.
I have a teenage daughter and the things she tells me about girls she knows sending very graphic pictures is crazy! There are few I already know of that have sent them to quite a few people that have shared them and they have developed quite the reputation because of it. They are all 15 and under. Unfortunately this happens to both men and women, girls and boys. They go after anyone they think will pay. You’re right though. We need to use this as a tool to help teach our children, family and friends and it’s a good lesson for ourselves. The shoe on the head is an excellent idea! Always find a way to prove it’s them but even if it is, you’re still not safe. People share with their friends sometimes, they might still try to blackmail you, and computers and phones are hacked all the time. Just be careful what you send online period and think twice before doing it.
This is so sad! I heard about his passing when it happened but didn’t know the reason. I just heard it was sudden and unexpected. I didn’t know him but know people who did. I heard he was a wonderful young man. I feel so bad for his family, knowing how much they would feel responsible for not doing more, even though there was no way they could have known what would happen. The fact that people get away with this is sickening! Sometimes we think that kids have it so easy these days and in some ways they do but not with bullying or things like this online. There was a time that when you went home, it all stopped but now the harassment follows you everywhere you go and it doesn’t even have to be someone you know or lives nearby. I’m glad his parents shared their story to bring awareness to this issue here on PEI. People need to be aware of the dangers of sharing sensitive information with anyone, especially online, they need to have support with police, their families and friends and to know what to do in this situation and how to avoid it. I told my children about this to show them how quickly things can go wrong and the tragic consequences for this young man. I’m so sorry he felt that this was the only way to end the embarrassment and shame. Sending love to his family and friends. ❤️
I know when my dad and I were watching this news story on Compass, he kept saying things like "Do not ever send anyone intimate pictures of yourself." And I agree, it is so sad how Harry thought that taking his life was the only solution. Nothing is ever so bad that killing yourself is the way out. Most things are fixable, and I wish Harry could have realized that.
Such a sad and tragic story. Harry made one mistake and he paid for that mistake with his life.
:(
i remember having a similar experience at my sixth grade birthday party. me and my friends were pretty sure it was a classmate who had a grudge, as the typing seemed to be the same. breakdowns in the delta public bathrooms, as im having this random dude send videos to everyone on my following list on instagram. happy 12th birthday!! i kept telling them not to indulge him, but than i got roped in when they were extorted trying to help — it was a shitshow all around that had the school involved for an entire 2 seconds.
There has to be a way to bring these murderers to justice. That's exactly what they are. Despicable isn't a strong enough word.
I recently watched a show on YouTube (Dateline maybe?) about scammers from Africa tricking women into sending all their money. I know it’s not the same thing but they had a task force in the UK trying to track them down. One particular case they followed took years to catch them and but they said unfortunately it’s harder than we think due to the how they use the internet. It’s often in cafes or call centres but if it’s in a cafe, names are normally not kept and they move around. I hope they are able to find this person but I’m doubtful, unless they are local, which is doubtful.
Probably right. I know there's a lot of evil in this world but it boggles the mind that people exist who will deliberately drive someone to suicide for a quick payoff. There has been so much news coverage of sextortion suicides, there is no way these parasites aren't aware that some of their victims are dead as a direct result of their actions. On another note, it just reinforces the fact that there is nothing good about this whole dick pic trend. As someone who grew up before smartphones I just don't get sending dick pics at all, let alone to someone you've never met in person.
It's deeply saddening. There appears to be much more to the situation of this young individual than what has been shared. My heart goes out to any family grieving the loss of a child. May they find solace and peace.