US Teen Dies By Suicide After Being Blackmailed With AI-Generated Nudes
According to the police, Elijah died on February 28 from a gunshot wound. His parents, John Burnett and Shannon Heacock, could not initially figure out why their innocent child took such a radical call. It wasn't until Ms Heacock went through her child's smartphone that she found the incriminating messages.
Elijah was the victim of a sextortion scam, a term that Ms Heacock and her husband had never heard until the investigation started. Sextortion is a form of online blackmail where predators threaten to share explicit images of victims unless they comply with demands for more photos, sexual acts, or money.
"The people that are after our children are well organised. They are well financed, and they are relentless," Mr Burnett told CBS News.
"They don't need the photos to be real, they can generate whatever they want, and then they use it to blackmail the child."
Ms Heacock has been running an online campaign, often tagging top politicians across party lines to spread awareness and demand action.
"@GregAbbott_TX our son was a victim of sextortion. The mule is in Texas. They don't want to press charges on this mule. They say people would feel sorry for him! Our son was 16!!" Ms Heacock wrote to the Texas governor.
@GregAbbott_TX our son was a victim of sextortion. The mule is in Texas. They don't want to press charges on this mule. They say people would feel sorry for him! Our son was 16!! pic.twitter.com/9lFmS3ylxM
— Shannon Heacock (@footballmum66) June 2, 2025
Such has been the impact of the incident that the family has been forced to start a GoFundMe campaign for survival as the "loss of work and mounting bills" pose a challenge.
"We never imagined we would be in this position, struggling to keep up with everyday expenses while grieving such a profound loss. We are reaching out for support to help us get through these hardships and find some stability as we try to heal," the family said.
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