Ministers vow action on online safety after sextortion victim, 18, took own life

Rod Minchin, Press Association

The UK Government has said it remains committed to making the online world as safe as possible for children and young people following the death of a teenager who took his own life after he fell victim to an online sextortion scam.

Cai Davies, 18, died after he had sent messages to a woman he believed had a romantic interest in him.

South Wales Central Coroner’s Court heard he had been targeted by scammers operating from Africa.

They demanded money from him and said intimate photos would be sent to his friends and posted on YouTube.

The teenager, from Pontypridd, died in hospital in June last year after he was found hanging.

Assistant coroner Rachel Knight recorded a conclusion of suicide and said it was “more likely than not” that personal stresses in his life together falling victim to the sextortion scam “more than minimally contributed” to his death.

Following the inquest, the coroner addressed a Regulation 28 preventing future deaths report to the UK and Welsh governments with her concerns about how Cai had fallen victim to the scam.

She wrote of the scammers: “Conversation quickly turned sexual and she asked him for intimate images, which were then used to blackmail him for money by threatening to send the images to his family and friends and to upload them to a YouTube channel.

“The images were indeed sent to at least one of Cai’s Facebook friends by the scammer.

“Cai was bombarded with video calls and messages via Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp over a very short period of time making demands for money.”

In response, online safety minister Ian Murray set out several recent measures the UK Government had taken to protect children and young people.

These included criminalising the taking of intimate images without consent, a requirement for online platforms to remove those images, and the introduction of the Online Safety Act.

Mr Murray wrote: “The circumstances surrounding Cai’s death are profoundly troubling, and I am grateful to you for drawing these matters to my attention.

“As the minister responsible, the Government and I are fully committed to making the online world as safe as it can be for everyone, especially children and young people.”

The Welsh Government said issues around telecommunications and internet services were reserved to Westminster, but Senedd ministers are committed to reducing online harm in Wales.

Education minister Anna Brychan and culture minister Heledd Fychan said: “The Welsh Government will continue to engage with the UK Government and Ofcom on current and emerging online safety risks and their implications for devolved responsibilities.

“We are considering the implications for devolved responsibilities of legislative proposals by the UK Government relating to children and young people’s access to social media and certain high-risk online features.

“We will continue to consider emerging evidence, including evidence about the potential effects of online safety measures on suicide prevention and self-harm and the risk of unintended consequences.”

The ministers said the Welsh Government would be reviewing existing guidance, as well as developing fresh online safety guidance for schools, and a new national online safety programme.

“These actions will form part of the Welsh Government’s wider commitment to strengthening digital resilience, preventing harm and helping people affected by online exploitation to access appropriate support,” they said.

“We will continue to review our approach as the evidence and nature of online risks develop.”

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