Pittsburgh-area nonprofit urges parents to look for warning signs of sextortion

Investigators say at least 21 boys were catfished and sextorted after Zachariah Meyers, an 18-year-old Peters Township High School senior, pretended to be an adult film star from the Netherlands, with at least 14 teenagers sending pornographic pictures of themselves.

Now, a representative from the nonprofit Pittsburgh Action Against Rape is urging parents to look for signs of sextortion and talk with their teenagers.

William McGinnis, the director of education for PAAR, said it's common for kids to get wrapped up in this, often because they're misled. The more kids get involved in it, the less likely they are to say something, he said.

"They're afraid for themselves, and they're afraid of the adults' reaction in those spaces," McGinnis said.

It is important that parents create an environment where kids feel comfortable talking in case it were to happen to them, McGinnis added. Not in a punitive or disciplinary way, though.

"We think about [parents] installing apps that track them," McGinnis said. "They think about [parents] taking away certain things."

He says not to punish kids for speaking up. They may end up using those things you've taken away anyway.

"They're just more secretive about it," McGinnis said.

McGinnis told KDKA-TV that active bystanders can also be of help, including fellow students.

"I think a good friend should say something when they know this is happening and their friend is being targeted, or a problem is happening," he said.

Bystanders and parents need to look for signs of someone being sextorted. McGinnis said some of those signs are commonly associated with trauma.

"Somebody withdraws, or they're unwilling to go to school," he said. "They may stop going out and doing things."

If you happen to be a victim and are trying to stop the sextortion, it is imperative to report it. Do not pay the money the person behind you may be asking for, McGinnis said.

As Meyers faces more than 300 felony charges, stories like this are reminders, McGinnis said.

"I think these stories allow for that conversation to start now," he said.