The parents of a teenager who took his own life after falling victim to an “evil” sextortion scam have said their “world has been shattered”.
Murray Dowey, 16, from Dunblane, was contacted on social media by someone claiming to be a girl but was actually a scammer trying to trick him into sending him an intimate image.
The Perthshire schoolboy was then blackmailed with the photograph and took his own life just days after Christmas.
Now parents Mark and Ros Dowey have spoken out about the cruel scam that claimed their son’s life.
The devastated couple said they “don’t want this to happen to any other families” and urged social media platforms to step up protection for the teenagers “immediately”.
Murray Dowey, 16, from Dunblane, was contacted on social media by someone claiming to be a girl but was actually a scammer trying to trick him into sending him an intimate image.
Parents Mark and Ros Dowey have spoken out about the cruel scam that claimed their son’s life.
Murray took his own life on December 30 last year, just hours after being blackmailed.
The Stirling Albion fan, who had been enjoying the Christmas holidays with his parents and two brothers, is the latest tragic victim of a rise in cases of sextortion.
Mrs Dowey told ITV News: “That night we were just chatting and watching rubbish on TV. “We were a normal family of five.
‘The next morning, we were left with four people with a huge Murray-shaped gap that will never go away.
‘He is my little one. “To think of my little boy in such distress and not ask for help is horrible.”
Sextortion occurs when images are used for financial exploitation and coercion, a crime often committed by organized foreign gangs who target young men online before blackmailing them for money.
Police Scotland have revealed an “increase in reported sextortion incidents” and charities have reported their helplines have been inundated with calls from victims.
Dowey said her son was a “normal, happy teenager” who had “everything I hoped for.”
The family said they never thought that night would be the last time they would see him.
Mr Dowey said he was “sitting around watching football”.
‘The next thing I heard was Ros screaming… screams like I’d never heard before in my life, it was horrendous.’
And he added: “He was a very normal boy, calm and helpful, he had a great sense of humor… I can’t believe he’s gone.”
“One of the reasons it’s so devastating is that it comes to your house, exactly where Murray should have been safest in his room, sleeping.
“So there’s very little you can do to protect them.”
Murray’s heartbroken mother said: “The panic and terror he must have felt for the entire time this went on, whether it was minutes or hours, I feel devastated for him, because he was obviously in such a state that he thought taking his life was the only thing I could do.
Police Scotland are understood to be working with Nigerian authorities to find those responsible.
Mrs Dowey said: “I think they are evil.” Those criminals killed our son.
‘They can’t just be anonymous people behind the keyboard thousands of miles away.
“There have to be consequences and there have to be consequences to deter others from doing this.”
Superintendent Joanne McEwan, of Police Scotland’s Department of Partnerships, Prevention and Community Wellbeing, said people attacked “should not feel ashamed or afraid to come forward”.
She said: “We are experiencing an increase in the number of sextortion incidents being reported, and overseas-based organized crime gangs are often responsible, although individuals are also involved.”
‘These criminals use the Internet, social networks, dating applications, webcams or pornography sites.
‘They fake identities to befriend people online and then threaten to send images to their family and friends.
“They are good at covering their tracks and remaining anonymous.”
Yesterday, Police Scotland said their investigations into the events leading up to the teenager’s death were ongoing.
Not only are Murray’s parents now in a battle to bring blackmailers to justice, they have also demanded social media companies act to keep people safe on their platforms.
Mr Dowey said: “I think the platforms these criminals are using need to increase safeguarding and protection of young people immediately.”
‘I think they know exactly how they could do that.
Many experts have raised this, but nothing has been done about it. “We are beginning to see that many young people die from this crime.”
Stop Non-consensual Intimate Image Abuse, which works with social media companies to help detect and prevent image sharing online, can be contacted at https://stopncii.org.
For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org.