Mississippi dad warns parents about a rising trend of social media-based sextortion that caused his son, 16, to take his own life.
Brian Montgomery said Monday that he wanted people to “understand the evil that’s out there in this world that is after children,” in an interview with Fox News’s Dana Perino.
The grieving father advised that children should not be left alone in their bedrooms, bathrooms, or anywhere else with these phones, as they aren’t capable of understanding the dangers.
Montgomery said, “I want other parents to hear that warning because it’s something they can do today to protect themselves against this,” Montgomery added.
Walker, Montgomery’s 16-year-old son, committed suicide after falling prey to a sextortion offense last December.
The father explained that Nigerian-based criminals who posed as a young girl convincing Walker to send explicit videos of themselves convinced him. The perpetrators obtained the video and pressed Walker to give them $1,000.
Walker told criminals that he was going suicide under extreme pressure. The perpetrators encouraged Walker to continue, Montgomery explained, calling the situation “evil” as well as “heartbreaking”.
Montgomery stated that he believes tech companies can use technologies to protect minors from crime, but that they have not invested enough in their development.
“We’re Christians. No one can doubt Walker’s whereabouts. Montgomery stated in the interview that Walker was in heaven with Christ and is waiting for us.”
“Walker was a special person. Walker is walking side by side with Jesus now. … You should know that Walker’s death is not from God. It is from sin.”
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, sextortion is “an online crime when an adult convinces someone younger than 18 to perform sexual acts or share photos on a webcam.”
According to the FBI, agents have witnessed a significant increase in cases involving teens and children. The FBI warns about financial sextortion which includes threats to release compromising material if the victim doesn’t send money or gift cards.
See Brian Montgomery’s touching tribute to Walker at his son’s memorial ceremony.
Below, you can see the complete interview on Fox News Channel’s America’s Newsroom.
