A grieving mother has spoken out after her 14-year-old son tragically died by suicide following a devastating online sextortion scam.
Caleb Moore, a teen from El Dorado, Kansas, took his own life after falling victim to an online predator posing as a girl his age. Now, his mother, Morgan Moore, is urging other parents to be vigilant about the dangers lurking on social media.
Morgan said she initially had no idea what had led to her son’s death. While she knew he had taken his own life with a gun, it wasn’t until later that police revealed the heartbreaking details.
Authorities found messages showing that Caleb had been communicating with someone he believed was a teenage girl. After the person sent him explicit images, Caleb was coerced into sending similar photos. What followed was a horrifying turn: threats demanding money in exchange for keeping the images private.
Morgan said the conversation began on TikTok before moving to Snapchat, where the threats intensified. According to her, police believe the entire interaction—leading from flirtation to blackmail—unfolded in just 35 minutes.
“They destroyed his happiness and hope in half an hour,” she said. “He even sent them a photo of the gun, hoping it would stop them. But it didn’t.”
In a moment of desperation, feeling isolated and trapped, Caleb ended his life.
Morgan is now calling for social media platforms to take stronger action to prevent such crimes. While TikTok has stated that users under 16 are not allowed to use direct messaging, and Snapchat says it offers safety tools and parental guidance through its Family Safety Hub, Morgan believes that’s not enough.
“These people know exactly what to say to manipulate a 14-year-old boy,” she said. “They exploit their insecurities, their fears about family, their social standing. It’s cold, calculated, and anonymous.”
She added: “I don’t believe Caleb thought we wouldn’t help him—I think he thought we couldn’t. That there was no fixing this, and that it was all his fault. None of that is true. But it cost us everything.”
A GoFundMe page has since been launched to help Caleb’s family with funeral expenses.
Morgan said she doesn’t expect police will be able to find the person responsible, though they are doing what they can. “The likelihood of catching the person is low,” she said. “But I hope sharing Caleb’s story will save another child.”
