Sgt. Jeremy Burns (from left), of the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office; Tim Irr of WSAZ-TV, and Adam Tate participate in a "Sextortion" awareness panel on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, as part of the West Virginia Department of Education's SAIL conference at the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Coliseum & Convention Center.
Sgt. Jeremy Burns (from left), of the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office; Tim Irr of WSAZ-TV, and Adam Tate participate in a "Sextortion" awareness panel on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, as part of the West Virginia Department of Education's SAIL conference at the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Coliseum & Convention Center.
W.Va. Department of Education | Courtesy photo
The West Virginia Department of Education on Tuesday hosted a panel discussion on the dangers of “sextortion,†a form of blackmail where a person is threatened with the release of private, sexual images or messages unless they meet the demands of their blackmailer. The panel was conducted as part of the WVDE’s SAIL (Support, Appreciate, Invest, and Learn) conference at the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Coliseum and Convention Center.
With WSAZ-TV’s Tim Irr serving as moderator, the two-person panel included Public Information Officer Sgt. Jeremy Burns of the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office and Adam Tate, father of the late Bryce Tate, a 15-year-old Nitro High School sophomore who was the victim of sextortion in 2025.
The tragic death of Bryce Tate
On the afternoon of Nov. 6, 2025, Bryce received a text message from an unknown individual, claiming to be a teenage girl. While Bryce was not familiar with the girl the message sender claimed to be, the conversation continued as Bryce believed the “teenage girl†was romantically interested in him.
The back-and-forth texting continued over a period of approximately three hours, and the unknown texter eventually sent Bryce graphic photos of the teenage girl they claimed to be. After requesting and receiving similar graphic pictures from Bryce in return, the texter revealed the scam: pay them $500 immediately or the pictures would be made public.
“He offered $30,†Tate told those in attendance for Tuesday’s panel. “That was all he had.â€
With the texter dissatisfied with Bryce’s $30 offer, they switched tactics and began pressuring the high schooler to take his own life. Tate said that the texter had sent more than 100 messages in a 20-minute period, leaving Bryce in a state of panic. At approximately 7:30 that evening — barely three hours after first being contacted by the texter — Bryce committed suicide in his home.
“That was the worst night of my life,†Tate said. “That’s why I’m trying to spread this awareness. So ... none of your families have to experience the pain that we experience every day.â€
“The FBI has seen a huge increase in the number of cases involving children and teens being threatened and coerced into sending explicit images online," according to the FBI.
Tate said awareness of the threat and speaking openly with children is critical.
Tate said Bryce "is not going to be a victim. Every life that he’s saving, and every conversation that takes place in his memory is making him a hero.â€
According to the FBI, “The people who commit this crime have studied how to reach and target children and teens.â€
One person the FBI put in prison for this crime was a man in his 40s who worked as a youth minister so he could learn how teens talked to each other. Then, he created social media profiles where he pretended to be a teenage girl. This “girl†would start talking to boys online and encourage them to make videos.
Additionally, some scammers offer money, video game credit or other incentives to coerce their victims to send compromising pictures and videos. In other documented cases, threats of violence have been used as a coercion tactic.
“It’s pretty scary,†Burns said at Tuesday's event. “You have to keep that communication line open with your kids about all of this, that’s the most important thing I can express. Definitely educate them about this. Don’t be embarrassed.â€
To protect yourself from extortion, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office said:
Even though teenage boys are often targets, girls and adults can also be victims of extortion.
Be selective about what you share online and keep social media profiles private.
Be wary of anyone you encounter for the first time online. Block or ignore messages from strangers.
Be aware that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online, and can pretend to be of any age or any gender.
Be suspicious if you meet someone on a game or app and they ask you to start talking on a different platform.
Any content created online — whether it is a text message, photo or video — can be made public once it is shared. Nothing actually "disappears" online. Once you send something, you don’t have any control over where it goes next.
Be willing to ask for help, according to Burns.
"If you have been the victim of sextortion, contact local authorities," Burns said Wednesday. "Even though your participation makes you think you are a suspect, we understand that you’ve become a victim and we are here to help."
'Bryce, you just saved another one'
“I go to the cemetery every day with my wife, and we speak to Bryce,†Tate said. “I’ve always been extremely proud of him. I tell him time and time again, ‘Hey Bryce, you just saved another one," referring to others who were helped through a sextortion incident.
Tate added that he tells Bryce "how big of a hero he is and the impact he’s leaving on this world. They were able to take my son’s life, but they don’t get to dictate the ending to his story.â€
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