Stop Sextortion - appeal from relatives to Nigerian criminals

Mark and Ros Dowey have made a direct appeal to criminals involved in extortion

BBC Mark Dowey in a black polo shirt leans on a table and looks to the side in thought, next to his wife Ros in a white top and black cardigan looking into the camera. They are sitting in a bright lounge with a lamp on in the background and the curtains closed. — Mark and Ros Dowey have made a direct appeal to criminals involved in extortion

The parents of a British teenager who committed suicide after falling victim to extortion have issued a direct appeal to criminals in Nigeria to stop ‘terrorizing’ the vulnerable.

Murray Dowey, from Dunblane, was just 16 at the time he ended his life last year.

It is thought he was tricked by criminals in West Africa into sending intimate photos of himself and then blackmailed.

Murray’s mother and father also condemned social media companies for not doing enough to protect young people, saying they had “blood on their hands.”

Sextortion often involves sending victims a nude photo or video before asking them to send their own photo or video in return.

They then receive threats that the material will be shared with family and friends unless they comply with the blackmailer’s demands. It is believed that pressure drove Murray to commit suicide.

Murray Dowey was remembered by his parents as a ‘sweet child’

Murray looks at the camera and smiles while wearing bright orange sunglasses. He appears to be sitting on a boat, with the sea visible behind him and other people next to him. — Murray Dowey was remembered by his parents as a ‘sweet child’

Mark and Ros Dowey have now recorded a video message about the ‘vicious’ crime.

They said, ‘You’re abusing children. You ended Murray’s life.

“How would they feel if it was their child, or their brother, or their friend? I mean, it’s so cruel, and these are children, and this is abuse.”

“You terrorize people, children, for money, and I don’t think that is acceptable in any society.”

Sextortion has become big business in Nigeria involving thousands of young men nicknamed ‘yahoo boys’.

Guides on how to get involved in crime are openly available for purchase online, as per a BBC News investigation unveiled earlier this year.

One blackmailer told the BBC it was ‘survival of the fittest’

A photo from behind of a hooded person looking at a cell phone. The person's identity is hidden. — One blackmailer told the BBC it was ‘survival of the fittest’

BBC News has been communicating for months with a man in Nigeria who was actively involved extortionand convinced him to give insight into this world.

He spoke to our colleagues in Lagos on condition of anonymity.

He told them, “I know it’s bad, but I just call it survival of the fittest.”

He described sextortion as an “industry” and admitted he treats it like a game.

He added: “It depends on the fish you catch. You could throw the hook into the sea. You can catch small fish or big fish.”

However, he was then told the recorded message from Ros and Mark and seemed shocked by it.

He said he “almost cried” and felt “very bad.”

Murray’s parents had no idea anything was wrong until they found him in his room

Dowey family Murray smiles at the camera as he sits in his backyard on a sunny day. He is sitting on the left of the photo and there are pink flowers and greenery in the background. — Murray’s parents had no idea anything was wrong until they found him in his room

However, Murray’s parents don’t solely blame criminals for their son’s death.

They also hold technology companies accountable.

Sextorters find their victims by targeting individuals on social media and then using their list of friends and followers in their blackmail attempts.

Ros told BBC News: “I think they have blood on their hands. The technologies are there to stop so many of these crimes.”

Mark believes Silicon Valley could do more, but they won’t because it would cost them money.

He added: “It will stop them from making more billions than they make.”

‘No chance to intervene’

Analysis from the UK’s National Crime Agency shows that all age groups and genders are being targeted, but that a A large proportion of the victims are boys and between 14 and 18 years old.

Police believe the crime is under-reported because victims are too scared or ashamed to come forward.

Mark told the BBC that his son was “a very sweet child” and that his parents had no idea anything was wrong.

He said, “He went to his room and he was fine. And you know, we found him dead the next morning.”

His mother Ros added: “We had no chance to intervene, to notice that something was wrong and try to help fix it.”

Ros and Mark Dowey join a campaign to inform young people about the risks of extortion

Ros and Mark walk hand in hand through a park. Mark wears a black shirt and jacket. Ros is wearing a white top with a black jacket. — Ros and Mark Dowey join a campaign to inform young people about the risks of extortion

The Dowey family will later be involved in a campaign launch in Edinburgh warning young people of the dangers of blackmail.

The campaign – which brings together Police Scotland, Crimestoppers and the Scottish Government – will not only tell them about the risks of sharing intimate images online, but also give them advice on what to do and where to look for help if someone is being targeted of criminals.

Mark and Ros told BBC News they had a message for every young person who becomes a victim of sextortion.

The couple stated: “There is nothing worth taking your life, so if something happens to you, put down that phone and find someone you trust and tell him or her happened.”

“We cannot allow this to happen to any more children, what happened to Murray.”