A teen died after being blackmailed with A.I.-generated nudes. His family is fighting for change - CBS News

Elijah Heacock's parents had never heard of sextortion before their son died by suicide. Now, they're fighting to protect other families.

Elijah Heacock was a vibrant teen who made people smile. He "wasn't depressed, he wasn't sad, he wasn't angry," father John Burnett told CBS Saturday Morning. But when Elijah received a threatening text with an A.I.-generated nude photo of himself demanding he pay $3,000 to keep it from being sent to friends and family, everything changed. He died by suicide shortly after receiving the message, CBS affiliate KFDA reported . Burnett and Elijah's mother, Shannon Heacock, didn't know what had happened until they found the messages on his phone. Elijah was the victim of a sextortion scam , where b

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