A young British schoolboy has taken his own life after being blackmailed by alleged Nigerian scammers with his nude photographs.
Dinal De Alwis, a 16-year-old footballer and rugby player, had achieved outstanding A* GCSE results and had just commenced sixth form with aspirations of studying at Cambridge when he was contacted via Snapchat by someone from Nigeria.
According to Mail Online, De Alwis received two unclad photos of himself and was threatened that they would be circulated to all his online followers unless he paid £100.
Fearing for his reputation, the teenage boy left his family home and recorded a brief video stating his intention to end his life.
His father, Kaushallya De Alwis, expressed his profound grief to the Daily Mail, stating that he hopes no other family would endure such suffering.
Mr. De Alwis recounted the night his son disappeared, mentioning that Dinal had messaged both him and his wife to express his love for them, and instructed his siblings to take care of their parents.
Dinal was a student at Whitgift School in Croydon, near their home in Sutton, south London, where boarding fees reach £48,000.
Despite his outstanding academic success, Dinal struggled with the distress caused by the blackmail and ultimately choose to end his own life.
The South London Coroner’s Court heard that the blackmailer, believed to have other victims, had threatened Dinal in messages demanding payment.
Despite efforts by the police and the National Crime Agency, the blackmailer, believed to be based in Nigeria, could not be traced.
Mr. De Alwis described Dinal as a caring and bright son who excelled academically and in sports. He lamented that Dinal didn’t show any signs of unhappiness but likely felt overwhelmed by the shame of the potential public exposure of the images.
