A Kansas mother is grieving the devastating loss of her 14-year-old son, Caleb Moore, who tragically took his own life after falling victim to a sextortion scam that began on TikTok.As reported by Unilad, the El Dorado Police Department said Caleb began chatting with someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl on June 10, 2025. Their conversation quickly moved from TikTok to Snapchat, where the impersonator reportedly sent compromising images of herself, pressuring Caleb to send explicit photos of himself.
The exchange escalated when ‘the girl’ demanded large amounts of money and began threatening to leak Caleb’s photos unless he complied. “They’d made him feel like his life was over as he had made this mistake,” Caleb’s mother, Morgan Moore, said. Caleb died by suicide shortly after sending a photo of the gun to the impersonator.Morgan said she rushed to the scene after a call from Caleb’s father. “When I got there Caleb was still alive and breathing but they were unable to resuscitate him so they stopped trying as nothing was working,” the grieving mother recalled.
She added, “He passed away in the house and it was very difficult because I wanted to be with him but they wouldn’t let me go inside as they didn’t want me to see anything. I was hysterical and screaming and begging them to not give up on my boy and let me go to him. I was inconsolable [sic].”
At first, Caleb’s parents were confused about what had led to the tragedy. But after police examined the teen’s phone, the heartbreaking truth was uncovered.
“That is when they had gone through his TikTok messages and showed me the progression. It had stolen my boy’s happiness and hope in a 35-minute span,” Morgan said.Additional information was shared about the tragedy on a GoFundMe campaign launched to support the Moore family. The campaign stated that attendees at Caleb’s celebration of life were informed of the reason, adding, “We want to inform you of the evil that manipulated this child into believing there was no other option but death.”
It explained how TikTok, “an app that almost every middle schooler has access to,” became the gateway to exploitation. The page also revealed that, in his final moments, Caleb sent a text to his father saying, “It was going to be okay.” The FBI is now actively investigating the case, the account confirmed.The FBI defines sextortion as a form of blackmail using sexually explicit images to extort money from victims. El Dorado Police confirmed the scam began on TikTok before moving to Snapchat, where explicit photos were exchanged and the threats intensified. In response, TikTok told LADbible Group that it is committed to protecting teenagers on the platform.The digital company explained that users under 16 cannot use direct messaging, adults cannot message teens, and off-platform images cannot be shared via direct messages. Additionally, TikTok’s messages are not end-to-end encrypted, which makes the platform less appealing for sharing illicit content.Snapchat also responded, stating that accounts for users aged 13–17 are automatically set to private, restricting communication to mutually accepted friends or saved contacts. The platform also offers a Family Safety Hub to help parents monitor their children’s online activity. It therefore remains unclear whether Caleb used his real age on the platforms.In the wake of her son’s death, Morgan is now urging teens to speak up if they ever feel unsafe online. She said, “I don’t know how to stress enough to children to tell someone—your parents about it or another trusted adult. You just have to tell someone because they purposely make it seem like they have so much more power than they do.”
Talking to parents, she advised, ” You need to battle the false communication between the scammer and your child with open conversation with you and your child.”The El Dorado Police Department expressed condolences in a public statement, “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Moore family during this difficult time. We are amazed at the incredible strength and courage that this family has shown through the tragedy that they have suffered.”
“We strongly support the fact that the family has made it a priority to share this story with others in an effort to protect the lives of other children,” the statement continued.In the days since Caleb’s passing, tributes have poured in from friends, family, and members of the community. Morgan shared a gut-wrenching post mourning her son, expressing the depth of her grief, saying she would miss her son profoundly.
She also described him as the light of her heart and admitted that no words could capture the immense love she felt for him or the darkness left behind in his absence.
Caleb’s coach, Justin Klein, remembered him as one of the most challenging kids to coach—not because he lacked talent or effort, but because of the depth of his compassion. He said Caleb was incredibly kind, often reluctant to hurt others even during competition. Caleb had the physical strength of a defensive end but the protective heart of someone who cared deeply for those around him.
A former daycare provider, Ashley Bentz, also shared her heartbreak over Caleb’s passing, describing him as a beautiful soul and expressing how deeply blessed she felt to have cared for him for several years.
She considered Caleb and his siblings as her own and recalled how helpful and nurturing he was with the younger children. She remembered how his smile could light up a room and how much he enjoyed her cooking. She said he would be deeply missed.
Caleb’s heartbreaking story stands as a solemn reminder of the hidden dangers online and the urgent need for open conversations, awareness, and compassion to protect our children.