A 14-year-old boy from Rockford, Michigan, died by suicide in August after he was targeted in a sextortion scheme and believed he was in trouble with police.
His devastated family is now speaking out to raise awareness, hoping to prevent other tragedies.
Sextortion is an increasingly frequent scam that often targets minors online. The offender coerces their target into sending sexually explicit images either with a threat or by posing as a desirable peer, then they use the threat of exposure to make more demands.
According to the family's attorney, Marc Lipton, Henry had realized he was being manipulated online by someone posing as a girl, who had tricked him into sending an explicit photo, abc10 reported. That person then threatened to distribute the image unless Henry sent more.
"He reached out to a friend, telling that his life had been ruined and it was over and he was in trouble," Lipton said. " Alarmed, the friend told his mother, who contacted police for a wellness check. But when Henry saw officers arriving at his home, he panicked.
"He thought he was in trouble, and he took his own life," Lipton said. "That's not to blame Henry or his own parents, or the friends' parents, everyone doing it all they could to protect them."
Described by loved ones as "kind-hearted" and "charismatic," Henry was an athlete, who had worked his first job as a caddy and dishwasher over the summer, and was just days away from beginning high school when he committed suicide.
The investigation following his death led law enforcement to the arrest of another Kent County teen, who was charged with six felony counts in October. The perpetrator, also a 14-year-old male, pleaded guilty to victimizing 17 children through sextortion.
Henry's parents are urging other families to talk to their children about online safety and to understand that victims of sextortion are not to blame.
"Sending inappropriate pics is a bad decision," they said, "but if someone threatens to spread your photo, they are committing a crime and you deserve to be protected."
Law enforcement officials say cases like Henry's are sadly becoming more common. "We take three to five of these cases a month," said Chief Deputy Jason Kelly of the Kent County Sheriff's Office. "Most victims are boys aged 12 to 17."
The FBI urges teens and parents to be cautious about online interactions, and to ask for help if something doesn't feel right.
"If someone is trying to control and humiliate you," Henry's parents said, "please reach out for help."
