'You might as well end it now': Terrorized by sextortion plot, a 17-year-old takes his life
James Woods was considering colleges and had narrowed his choices to three.
The senior from Streetsboro, Ohio, hoped to break records in the upcoming track season in his new gold-bottomed spikes.
James and his friends had a trip planned in July to Dream Con, a comic book convention in Texas.
The 17-year-old had hopes and dreams that ended on Nov. 19 when he died by suicide.
James’ death was shocking for his family and friends, who never saw signs he was depressed or upset. They soon learned, though, that James had been the silent victim of a growing cybercrime known as sextortion.
These schemes typically use social media to target young people. The victims are persuaded to share a naked photo or explicit video of themselves that is then used to extort them for money or more images.
Tamia Woods, James’ mother, had never heard of sextortion before her only child’s death. But she and her husband, Tim, have now made it their mission to educate others about the crime.
“People need to be made aware of this evil,” Tamia Woods said in an interview at the family’s Streetsboro home. “My husband and I did everything we could. How can you regret something you didn’t know anything about?”
In the five months since James’ death, the Woods started the Do It for James Foundation and created tip cards with information on what young people can do if they fall prey to sextortion. They have spoken to numerous groups and Northeast Ohio schools and will be the featured speakers at a Mental Health and Safety Forum on May 10 at Streetsboro High School.
Alert Feds cite 'explosion' in child sextortion cases, FBI, DHS issue national public safety alert
The parents also are supporting state legislation that would require parental consent for children 16 and younger to use social media.
This is, after all, a problem that extends way beyond Streetsboro.
The FBI issued public safety alerts about sextortion in December and again in mid-January, saying law enforcement agencies had received more than 7,000 reports in the past year about the online extortion of at least 3,000 young people, most of them with boys. The FBI said more than a dozen sextortion victims have died by suicide.
Since James’ death, three other Streetsboro students have reported being victims of sextortion. One of the victims told a school official he knew what happened to James.
Tamia, 39, a clinical specialty representative for the Mayo Clinic, is pleased the word is spreading. Asked why she and her husband have been so open about their son’s death, Tamia said simply: “Because of fear. My child took his life. I never want another mom to feel the hurt I feel."
James Woods was known for his great smile and running prowess
Tamia described her son as a “humble young man” who wasn’t the typical teen. He loved comic books, anime and Dragon Ball Z and enjoyed playing chess with his father. In recent years, James found a passion for running and joined Streetsboro’s cross country and track teams. He was ranked 12th in Ohio last year for the 110-meter hurdles in Division II.
“That was one of my joys – I loved to watch him run,” said Tamia, who tried not to miss any of James’ meets.
The family enjoyed traveling and helped organize trips once a year for James and his closest friends. They already had tickets for Dream Con, the comic book festival in July in Austin, Texas.
Streetsboro Superintendent Mike Daulbaugh said James was a great kid and a stellar athlete who was known for his infectious smile.
“He could light up a room,” said Daulbaugh, who has led the school district since 2013. “He was friends with everybody. Everybody loved James.”
James, who was nearly halfway through his senior year by November, hoped to run in college and had in mind a career in law or law enforcement.
On the morning of Saturday, Nov. 19, Tamia went with James to a college fair. She said James laughed and danced with his friends, though she did notice he appeared to be on his phone a lot. She asked him to put it away.
James went off to learn about the 20 colleges at the fair, and Tamia headed to brunch with her aunt and cousin.
About 1:30 p.m., James called Tamia and said he had talked to three colleges he now considered at the top of his list – Central State University, Fisk University and Howard University.
“Baby, I’m so proud of you,” Tamia told him. “We’ll talk more about this when you get home.”
That conversation never happened.
'I have to tell you, our son is gone. He's gone'
Tim arrived home about 6:45 that evening and found James dead.
He dropped to his knees, screamed and crawled to his son’s body.
Tim then made the hardest call of his life − to his wife, who was running errands. He didn’t want her to hear what happened from a neighbor.
“I have to tell you, our son is gone,” he told her. “He’s gone. He killed himself.”
Tamia, who teared up as she remembered that call, couldn’t comprehend what she was hearing.
“We told him we loved him every day,” she said. “Our son was our life – our everything.”
The Woods, through phone records and with help from police, quickly learned James had been targeted in a sextortion scheme. He was contacted on Instagram by an attractive young woman.
Their conversation turned sexual and the woman asked James if he wanted to see her naked in a video chat. After the chat, the woman said it was James’ turn, and he reciprocated.
The woman or people she was working with captured a naked image of James from the video chat and used the image to begin threatening him. The initial demand was $6,000, but it dropped to $300.
James gave his tormentors $100 in iTunes gift cards, but the threats continued.
James received 200 messages in less than 20 hours.
They said James would be labeled a pedophile. His parents wouldn’t love him. He wouldn’t be able to get into college or get a job. They would hurt or kill his parents.
“You might as well end it now,” they told James at one point.
When James was on his phone at the college fair, Tamia now believes he probably was responding to the barrage of messages.
“I didn’t realize they were terrorizing my child,” she said.
James’ exploiters made good on one of their threats and sent a naked photo of him to many of his friends and family members. Tamia learned about it from one of James’ friends after his death.
Tamia wishes James had told her and Tim what was happening.
“We would have cussed him out and said, ‘How dare you?’ and then gone to police,” Tamia said. “He made a mistake. He’s the victim.”
'This is an attack on our youth'
Once Tamia and Tim realized what had happened, they wasted no time.
Two days later, Tamia addressed the track team at his high school, explaining what had happened to James and urging the students to make better choices. If they get into trouble, get help, she implored.
“There’s never anything you can do that you can’t tell your parents,” Tamia said. “Just like that, things can change in a heartbeat, and someone be gone.”
Daulbaugh was shocked by Tamia’s candor but said it helped him and Streetsboro Police Chief Tricia Wain, who wanted to get the word out about what happened to James while respecting the family’s privacy. With that concern removed, he said, he and Wain were free to share information.
“We wanted the public to hear this is not going away,” Daulbaugh said. “This is an attack on our youth. As adults, we need to do something about it. We can’t be quiet.”
The Woods created cards with suggestions for what young people can do if they become victims of sextortion. The small, laminated cards can fit in a wallet or pocket and include contact information for the FBI and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
The parents spoke at a sheriffs' conference in Columbus, Ohio, and a Portage County Police Chiefs Association meeting. They also shared their story at a news conference in March to announce the proposed Social Media Parental Notification Act, which would require social media companies like Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok to get parental consent before permitting those under 16 to join their platforms.
The Woods also would like to see Ohio law strengthened to make sextortion a serious criminal offense, with heightened penalties for those who target juveniles. Right now, people accused of sextortion face other criminal charges, such as extortion.
James Woods' parents spread their message as sextortion investigation continues
On a recent afternoon, Tamia and Tim Woods spoke to high school students in Amherst, Ohio, about James and what led to his death. Tamia gave the students the foundation’s tip cards and encouraged them to hold on to them. She said James’ last Google search was: “How to get an Instagram page taken down.”
“He did not know what to do,” she said.
Wain, the Streetsboro police chief, called what happened to James a “targeted attack.”
“They were targeting his friends and family to expose him for what he was,” Wain said. “What he was was a kid who made a mistake. They made him out to be a sex offender or pedophile.”
He said the investigation into James’ case is continuing with help from federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security.
Wain said James’ tormentors were from the Ivory Coast in Africa, an area that generally isn’t cooperative with the United States. She said it is “difficult with overseas offenders.”
“We are looking at people who look at this as a job,” she said. “Everybody has jobs. Their job happens to be tormenting children.”
Investigators from Homeland Security didn’t return messages conveyed through Streetsboro police and email seeking comment on James’ case.
Since James' death, three other Streetsboro students have reported being victims of sextortion.
One student sent his tormentors money but then told his mother what had happened when the threats continued. His mother took a screenshot of the man making the threats, which was forwarded to federal investigators and has been shared publicly by police.
“I’m glad kids are coming forward,” Wain said. “Without the reports and documentation and evidence we’re getting, we would not be able to do anything about it in the big picture.”
No arrests have been made in Streetsboro’s sextortion cases.
While the investigations continue, the Woods are grieving the loss of their son during what would have been his final weeks in high school. Tamia said one of the toughest things for her are trips to the grocery store because she no longer needs to buy James the Pop-Tarts and barbecue chips he loved.
Tamia and Tim have plans to participate in 20 events through May and are organizing a 5K walk and run in August to try to raise $10,000 in scholarships. Tamia says her son is the force behind their efforts.
“James is still here,” she said. “He’s helping save lives.”
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com, or on Twitter @swarsmithabj.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Parents spread sextortion warning after son's death by suicide
