A Michigan teen who had so much to look forward to in life.
Jordan John DeMay was a happy guy who had already enjoyed a lot of wonderful moments in life. He was a student athlete who excelled in basketball and was rehabbing from a tough injury. He had tons of great friends. He was even voted homecoming king. It's for all those reasons that many were surprised to learn that Jordan died by suicide.
At first, Jordan's family believed that the suicide was a result of struggles they simply weren't aware their son had. It wasn't until one of his friends came forward with the truth that they found out Jordan was a victim of an increasingly prevalent sextortion plot where teens are conned into sending photos of or video chatting sex acts and then threatened with those materials being shared with family, friends, schools, or religious leaders.
Note: If you or any of your loved ones are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can always reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 1-800-273-8255. They are available 24/7 by phone or online chat.
In Jordan's case, he was contacted by an attractive female peer whom he chatted with for a few days before conversations became sexual in nature. Jordan was skeptical, even asking if it was a scam. He was reassured it wasn't the case, however, and he sent nude photos and got photos in return, which he believed were of the girl he was talking to.
Shortly thereafter, the blackmailers revealed to Jordan that they were prepared to take the photo and send it to his parents and social media contacts. They initially demanded $1,000 not to send out the photos, but the 17-year-old told them he didn't have that kind of money. He did agree to pay $300.
They soon told him that wasn't enough and demanded more. He told them he had no way of getting more money. They continued increasing their threats to send out the photo. On March 25, he wrote "you win" and told the blackmailers he was going to kill himself. They told him to go for it. Six hours later, Jordan was dead.
The blackmailers moved on to Jordan's friend and started messaging her, demanding money or else they'd share his photo. She told them that Jordan had killed himself, and they responded "good," prompting her to hang up and call police. The investigation into who is behind the plot is ongoing. The FBI is warning parents and teens to be aware of these plots and to work with authorities rather than result to extreme measures.
