Henry, a ‘kind-hearted’ teen, was just days away from his freshman orientation when he took his own life. Another Kent County teen pled guilty to sextorting him.
ROCKFORD, Michigan — A “kind-hearted, charismatic” 14-year-old boy from Rockford took his own life in August. His parents say it was because he was being sextorted by one of his peers.
Henry grew up in Rockford, where he played soccer and ran track. He loved going to the YMCA to play basketball with his friends. This summer, he worked as a caddy and a dishwasher as his first jobs.
His family had no idea they would be his last.
Henry, just days away from his freshman orientation at Rockford High School, died by suicide. His death spurred an investigation, which led to another Kent County teen’s arrest just two months later.
The family’s lawyer, Marc Lipton, said Henry reached out to a friend when he figured out what was happening.
“He reached out to a friend, telling that his life had been ruined and it was over and he was in trouble,” Lipton said. ” The friend got concerned and told his own mother, not Henry’s mother, but the friend’s mother.”
Lipton said Henry took his life after seeing police at his parents’ house.
“The police came to do a wellness check, and in the course of the wellness check, as Henry saw the police outside his door, he thought he was in trouble, and he took his own life,” Lipton said. “That’s not to blame Henry or his own parents, or the friends’ parents, everyone doing it all they could to protect them.”
The teen was charged with six felony counts on Oct. 16, 2024. He pleaded guilty to victimizing 17 children in Michigan and beyond.
Investigators say the teen used stolen photos to pose as a young woman while interacting with Henry. The teen then threatened to spread an inappropriate photo of Henry unless Henry sent more photos.
Henry’s parents say he panicked and took his own life shortly after the threat. Now, they’re sharing their story in hopes that no other family experiences the “same nightmare we’re living,” they said.
“The most important takeaway we want other kids in our community to know is that sending inappropriate pics is a bad decision, but if someone threatens to spread your photo(s), they are committing a CRIME and you deserve to be protected. If someone is trying to control and humiliate you because of your photos, please reach out for help,” they said.
Henry’s parents said they found comfort knowing their son saved the lives of other children by gifting his organs. They hope it inspires others to do the same.
Chief Deputy Jason Kelly with the Kent County Sheriff’s Office said unfortunately, this is something they see often.
“I would say we take three to five of these on average per month,” Kelly said.
He adds, Henry fits into the demographic of sextortion victims.
“The majority of victims of sextortion are males between 12 and 17 years old,” Kelly said. “Typically, the that age bracket is is targeted more along the lines because of the fact that it’s easier to get pictures from them than it is from an older adult.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, know there is help available to you. The Michigan Crisis Access Line offers 24/7 help and answers calls to 988. You can also text 988 for help.
The FBI shares tips on how people can protect themselves or their loved ones from sextortion schemes:
- Be selective about what you share online. If your social media accounts are open to everyone, a predator may be able to figure out a lot of information about you.
- Be wary of anyone you encounter for the first time online. Block or ignore messages from strangers.
- Be aware that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that people are who they claim to be. Images can be altered or stolen. In some cases, predators have even taken over the social media accounts of their victims.
- Be suspicious if you meet someone on one game or app and this person asks you to start talking on a different platform.
- Be in the know. Any content you create online—whether it is a text message, photo, or video—can be made public. And nothing actually “disappears” online. Once you send something, you don’t have any control over where it goes next.
- Be willing to ask for help. If you are getting messages or requests online that don’t seem right, block the sender, report the behavior to the site administrator, or go to an adult. If you have been victimized online, tell someone.
If you have information about or believe you are a victim of sextortion, contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or report it online at http://tips.fbi.gov.