MARSHFIELD, Wis. (WSAW/Gray News) – A Wisconsin high school baseball team honored their 15-year-old teammate whose family says he took his own life after becoming a victim of sextortion.
The first junior varsity baseball game of the season for DC Everest Senior High School was held Tuesday in Marshfield, Wisconsin. The team took the field without one of their own, 15-year-old Bradyn Bohn, who died by suicide in March after becoming a victim of sextortion, according to his mother, Brittney Bird.
Sextortion is a form of online exploitation in which perpetrators coerce minors into sending sexually explicit material and then threaten to release it unless they receive payment. The scheme typically targets underage boys and has led to an alarming increase in suicides nationwide.
In his obituary, Bird described her son as “so funny and kind and had such a big heart. He was the kid who would annoy you on purpose and then make you laugh when you were trying not to. He always wanted people around him to be happy.”
“It’s minute by minute. It honestly is. That’s really the only way to explain it. Everyone kind of says how does someone get through that? And there’s no right or wrong answer,” Bird said.
Seeing Bradyn Bohn remembered by his baseball team hits the family hard, but they don’t want to shy away from his story, hoping other can learn to avoid the same outcome.
“Everyone thinks ‘not my child’ until it’s your child. You gotta talk to them. You can’t be ashamed, and you can’t shame them into thinking they can’t talk about it,” Bird said.
Educating your child on sextortion also goes beyond where you live – whether that’s at school or at work.
“We can’t stop what’s happening on the other end of things on the internet,” Bird said.
As a parent, giving your child a safe space to show your support is also crucial.
“Sometimes saying that you’re here and even providing that support and your kids know they’re supported, it’s just not enough. So, changing the way that we message that,” said Bird’s friend, Melanie Kretscher.
Republican representatives in Wisconsin have introduced a bill called Bradyn’s Law to help combat sextortion, adding harsher penalties. Sextortion is not currently a specific crime in the state.
If the bill passes, anyone involved in sextortion which results in someone’s death could be charged with murder. The bill would also provide the victim or victim’s family with a payment from the Department of Justice’s crime victim compensation fund if the victim is injured or dies as a result of the crime.
Parents who attended Tuesday’s baseball game say they are in full support of the bill and doing everything they can to keep their children safe.
“For me as a parent and knowing what Bradyn wanted, we want whatever the max penalty is,” said Luke Bohn, Bradyn’s father.
“It just truly reflects what needs to happen in our whole society,” Kretscher said.
DC Everest also honored Bradyn Boyd at Thursday night’s junior varsity baseball game. His sister threw out the first pitch to his best friend.
The FBI has warned of an increase in online sextortion cases, particularly from groups such as “764,” which operate within the United States and globally.
If sexual photos or videos taken of you before you were 18 are online, Take It Down will remove them for free.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, call, text or chat 988 for immediate help.
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