Grieving parents appeal to sextortion criminals

The parents of a British teenager who took his own life after becoming a victim of sextortion have made a direct appeal to criminals in Nigeria to stop "terrorising" the vulnerable.

Murray Dowey, from Dunblane, was only 16 when he ended his life last year.

It is thought he had been tricked by criminals in West Africa into sending intimate pictures 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 have "blood on their hands."

Sextortion often involves victims being sent a nude picture or video before being asked to send their own in return.

They then receive threats the material will be shared with family and friends unless they meet the blackmailer's demands - pressure it is believed led Murray to take his own life.