Just a few weeks ago, “sextortion,” or sexual extortion, was a completely unfamiliar term to Shannon Heacock and John Burnett — until their 16-year-old son, Elijah Heacock, suddenly took his own life after someone threatened to expose explicit images of him online. Heacock and Burnett described Elijah as a “smart, happy kid,” but everything changed in an instant when he died by suicide Feb. 28 after being financially extorted. His death rippled through the community of Glasgow, leaving dozens to mourn the loss of a friend and classmate.
