Kansas Teen’s Final Moments Spark Urgent Warning from Grieving Mother

In a heartbreaking turn, 14-year-old Caleb Moore from El Dorado, Kansas, died by suicide after falling victim to an online sextortion scheme. In a moment of desperation, Caleb sent the blackmailer a photo of his family’s firearm—possibly hoping to scare them off. The threats didn’t stop.

Terrified and overwhelmed, Caleb used the gun to end his life.

“When I got there, Caleb was still breathing, but they couldn’t save him,” his mother Morgan recalled. “I was hysterical, begging them not to give up on my boy.”

Initially, the cause of Caleb’s distress was a mystery. It wasn’t until investigators examined his phone that the horrifying truth emerged: Caleb had been blackmailed by someone posing as a teen girl. Within 35 minutes of chatting, the scammer gained Caleb’s trust, manipulated him into sharing intimate photos, then demanded money and threatened exposure.

“They showed me the progression in his TikTok messages,” Morgan said. “It stole his happiness and hope in under an hour.”

According to the FBI, sextortion cases are rising sharply among children and teens. Often, scammers pretend to be peers, then use fear and shame to control their victims.