The parents of 17-year-old Ronan Hughes have revealed that the teenager had confided to them shortly before his death that he was being blackmailed.
The teenager had been tricked into sending pictures of himself after receiving photographs of a girl.
He was then blackmailed by a gang who threatened to send the photos to his Facebook friends if he didn’t give them £3,300.
Ronan confided in his mother Teresa Hughes and they both went to their local PSNI station, but according to them, they received a “dismissive” response from officers there.
They returned to the station the following day for a discussion on the case, and there was no further contact over the next two days.
Ronan then announced that a friend of his had received a link with pictures, but had no opened them. Teresa rushed home, but it was too late. The body of the teenager was discovered in a nearby field.
Ronan’s family have now issued a warning about young adults and social media, and the devastating consequences that certain issues may have.