BEDFORD, Ohio — A Streetsboro couple is turning their pain into change, educating parents and kids about the crime of sextortion. It’s a difficult but important topic News 5 continues to follow through on.
We don’t just report the initial story—we follow through to its conclusion. Read and watch our previous reporting on this story below and see more stories that we've followed through on here.
Tamia and Tim Woods’ only son, James Woods, died of suicide in November 2022. He was a Streetsboro High School senior, a stand-out athlete and a happy kid.
“My son was supposed to be doing great things. May 23, 2023, he was supposed to be graduating, and he’s not here,” said Tamia Woods to a crowd of parents and guardians at Bedford High School.
The Woods hosted a forum inside Bedford High School’s auditorium, exposing the dangers of sextortion and parental education on technology safety. It’s one of many forums and educational sessions the Woods have hosted since James’ death.
“You all have the privilege to not only teach your children but to spread the message. I got to learn what sextortion was on November 19, 2022, at 6:40 p.m.,” she said.
Woods explained to the crowd that her son was messaged on Instagram by someone who appeared to be a young girl, and when the switch flipped and the person began demanding money, James received 200 messages in a short period.
“For 19.5 hours, they told him ‘he would be a pedophile, that he would be going to jail, that his mother would never love him anymore, that his father would never love him,'” she said. “Do y’all understand what that does to someone? Especially after you make a mistake?”
The Woods were joined by members of Ohio’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, who explained that sextortion is increasing yearly. In most cases, including James’ case, the offenders are overseas, which makes prosecution a challenge.
“I had no idea what sextortion was,” said Linda Jones, a parent and grandparent who attended Thursday’s forum. “I feel compelled to learn more about it so others can learn to help their child.”
Another woman, who has young nieces and nephews, said she would be going home and making a phone call to them.
“Everyone is being targeted; the internet is not our friend. I want to raise awareness for young kids, big kids, whoever,” the woman said.
Raising awareness is a win for the Woods and their life mission.
“We are going to continue to talk to parents, and we are going to continue to talk to children, and we are going to be there and help them through these tough times that we just didn’t get the privilege of having, but we are going to make sure that other people have that privilege,” Woods said.
If you believe you or your child has become a victim of sextortion, it’s not enough to just block the criminal on social media; you need to report it to the police, and report it here.
To learn more about the Woods’ Do it For James Foundation, CLICK HERE.
