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From Breitbart: A 16-year-old Kentucky boy reportedly committed suicide shortly after he was blackmailed with AI-generated nude images, an increasingly common scheme known as “sextortion.”
Elijah Heacock of Glasgow, Kentucky, received a text including an AI-generated nude photo depicting himself and a demand that he pay $3,000 to prevent the image from being sent to family and friends, according to a report by KFDA.
On February 28, shortly after receiving the message, the teen died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Elijah’s parents, John Burnett and Shannon Heacock, told CBS that they didn’t have a solid understanding of the circumstances that led to their son’s death until they found the messages on his phone.
Heacock said she now believes her son was a victim of a sextortion scheme.
WATCH the news report below, as Elijah’s devastated parents speak out, and warn about the widely-growing sextortion scheme in a desperate effort to save others from what they are going through.
“I don’t want another mother to ever face this, another sibling, another father to face this,” Shannon Heacock said.
Elijah is survived by his parents and five siblings, including his twin sister, Palin. He reportedly took his own life less than an hour after being contacted by the online predators.
Below is a longer video of the heartbreaking interview with the Kentucky parents:
Eli Heacock, 16, took his own life less than an hour after being contacted by online predators, his family said. What his parents want other families to know: https://t.co/7mkwUz3lvj pic.twitter.com/BiL0UX9hqt
— KYTX CBS19 (@kytxcbs19) April 3, 2025
Below is a touching story about Elijah and his twin sister from two years ago:
Elijah & Palin Heacock are twins living with separate rare diseases. They go into their community performing random acts of kindness to bring smiles to people’s faces. https://t.co/9ryJt3grgr
— WBKO News (@wbkotv) July 18, 2023
“Safety By Design,” which outlines barriers A.I. companies should set when developing their technology. https://t.co/f8fwiIojoV
— KDKA (@KDKA) June 1, 2025
A 16-year-old Kentucky boy reportedly committed suicide shortly after he was blackmailed with AI-generated nude images, an increasingly common scheme known as “sextortion.” https://t.co/XkrtRrmymk
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) June 1, 2025
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