A 14-year-old Kansas boy, Caleb Moore, took his own life after he was targeted in a sextortion scheme on TikTok. His mother, Morgan Moore, is now struggling with her insurmountable loss.
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In an interview with KWCH, Moore detailed how, before his untimely death, Caleb was a normal 14-year-old.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better son,” Moore told the outlet. “He was very funny and mild-mannered, so he got along with everybody.”
Being the oldest of five children, Caleb excelled in sports and was preparing to start 8th grade at El Dorado Middle School. However, it all changed on June 10.
That day, Caleb took his own life, dying from a self-inflicted gunshot. It was his younger siblings who found him dead in the family house. Moore didn’t see her son’s body, as the police didn’t want her to, but said that all of her other four kids saw their dead brother.
Caleb’s death was ruled a suicide. While his parents struggled to understand what led to this tragedy, they eventually found the answer on his phone. Police discovered he had fallen victim to a sextortion scheme.
Sextortion Scheme
It was found that Caleb was messaging someone he believed was his age on TikTok. Eventually, Caleb and the unidentified individual exchanged numbers. Their interaction changed as the individual began threatening Caleb, with Moore labeling what was said to be “enough that it stole all the hope and joy my bad had in just 35 minutes.”
Moments before Caleb took his own life, he told the individual he was going to harm himself if the threats didn’t stop.
No details were shared by Moore about what was said or shared on the conversation. Sextortion, however, as per the FBI, involves an individual targeting victims, often children, and asking them for explicit, intimate images. Once these are shared, the individual asks for money in exchange to keep the images from going public.
“I believe that my son was murdered and that he was manipulated into doing something he did not want to do,” Moore added. “He died terrified, scared and ashamed.”
The grieving mother now seeks to raise awareness about sextortion. That way, no families have to go through the tragedy she now faces and copes with.
“The fact that I haven’t seen him in a month, haven’t talked to him, haven’t heard his voice, haven’t had him come in my room to say he loves me, it breaks my heart,” Moore said.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline​. The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available.