STREETSBORO, OH
March 7th, 2023
Good afternoon Streetsboro students, staff, parents, and community members.
Police Chief Wain and I are writing to bring a very unfortunate situation to everyone’s attention. Yesterday, a male student who attends Streetsboro City Schools fell victim to sextortion. Thankfully, he called his mother and reported what had happened.
The family immediately alerted the Streetsboro Police Department and me. The family of this student asked that the school district, along with the Streetsboro Police Department, release a statement warning of the continued dangers our students face when using social media.
As you may recall, sextortion is an online crime that happens when an adult poses as a same-aged peer to convince the victim to share sexually explicit pictures or perform sexual acts on camera.
Our School District is now aware of at least three students who have been targeted.
Sextortion is typically performed by people unknown to the students and oftentimes by criminals living overseas who are virtually untraceable. Sextortion is a nationwide epidemic and is increasing in frequency.
If your child has been a victim, please contact the Streetsboro Police Department at (330) 626-4976 or your local police agency and screenshot any information or images remaining on the phone.
The family of the current victim, along with the family of James Woods, want families to know about sextortion and want to encourage families to make sure they are checking their children’s social media accounts and making sure they are safe.
It is critical that we take time to encourage our students that if they are a victim of sextortion or any other crime, they have to have the courage to share this information with their parents or the trusted adult in their life. Regardless of how embarrassing or “big” the mistake may be, families can work through any problem together.
Below, please find a number of additional resources to provide more education about the information discussed above:
The Streetsboro City School District will conduct a Mental Health and Safety Summit on May 10, 2023.
The intent of the summit is to educate all of our district parents on internet safety and other mental health-related topics. The Woods family will also be present and will be our keynote speakers for the evening.
Additional breakout session topics are being finalized but will be relevant to parents of all grade levels. The event will be free to everyone, and child care will be provided while parents attend this event. Watch for more information regarding this Summit.
If you have any school-related questions about this case, contact the Superintendent’s Office immediately (330) 626-4900.
Sincerely,
R. Michael Daulbaugh
Superintendent
Streetsboro City Schools
Tricia Wain
Chief of Police
Streetsboro Police Department