Michael Durkin, 16, died early Sept. 28 after being struck by a train on tracks near his family's home in Liberty Township, Indiana. His parents say they later found threatening messages connected to compromising photos he had shared online. They are speaking publicly about the case to warn other families about sextortion.
Michael's mother, Nicole Durkin, told the Chicago Tribune that she and her husband found photos Michael had taken and shared through a messaging app, along with threats from the person who received them. Nicole said the person demanded money and threatened to publish the pictures. The Tribune reported that the texts arrived around 11:30 p.m.; security video showed Michael leaving home at 3:16 a.m. on Sept. 28.
Nicole said she called the Porter County Sheriff's Department after seeing on security video that Michael had left home. She told the Tribune she provided information about the threats to the department and federal authorities. The sheriff's department told the newspaper it had no updates on the investigation at the time of its report.
Michael Was a Chesterton High School Junior
Michael was a junior at Chesterton High School and took part in speech and debate. He also worked at Dairy Queen, the Tribune reported.
According to the family's account, Michael had attempted suicide at 13 using pills, after which he received counseling and intensive therapy. He continued to speak regularly with a therapist.
Parental Controls Eased as a Teen Driver Needed Maps
Nicole and her husband, Mike Durkin, had used parental controls to limit internet access and screen time for Michael and his older sister, Isabel. The family eased the controls when Michael began driving so he could use mapping programs, and the children also received more screen time over the summer. Nicole, a certified public accountant who works remotely, told the Tribune that technology changes faster than parents and phone companies can keep up.
Nicole said she hopes for legal justice but believes it is unlikely. The family shared Michael's story to help other parents address online risks and talk with their children about mental health. She also expressed gratitude for the support the family received in the Duneland area and beyond.
Roughly 15 Families Reached Out With Similar Stories
After the family's story circulated on Facebook, about 15 people contacted them with similar experiences, the Tribune reported. National figures also point to a rise in reports. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children says reports of online enticement rose more than 300% between 2021 and 2023. Its CyberTipline received 1.4 million reports concerning online enticement in 2025, including more than 80,000 involving sextortion. NCMEC also reported an average of 137 financial-sextortion reports per day in 2025, a 37% increase from the year before, and said it is aware of at least three dozen teenage boys in the United States who have died by suicide after being victimized by financial sextortion.
In Indiana specifically, the state's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received 29,635 cyber tips from NCMEC last year, an increase of more than 11,450 cases from 2024, per the Tribune's reporting. USA TODAY has reported that financial sextortion most commonly targets young men, particularly boys ages 13 to 17, and that the scheme has been connected to at least 30 teenage boys' deaths by suicide since 2021, citing case tallies and FBI figures. The FBI has said it is aware of more than 20 deaths by suicide resulting from financially motivated sextortion.
Indiana Reporting and Removal Resources
The reported figures describe different measures: NCMEC's national totals are reports concerning online enticement, including sextortion reports, while Indiana's figure is cyber tips received from NCMEC. The Tribune's account does not break down the Indiana total by category. For Indiana families, the Indiana State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force lists NCMEC's Take It Down service for removing nude images from the internet and a channel for reporting child sexual exploitation.
Similar Cases Reported Elsewhere
Michael's case joins a string of similar tragedies reported around the country and abroad. In West Virginia, Bryce Tate, a sophomore at Nitro High School, died by suicide after investigators said a person posing as a teenage girl threatened to release his images unless he paid a ransom; 14 News reported that the extortionist sent Bryce 120 texts in a span of 20 minutes.
Other cases cited by NBC News include 13-year-old Levi Maciejewski, who died by suicide less than 48 hours after joining Instagram, and Murray Dowey of Dunblane, Scotland, who died in 2023 at age 16. Families of two teenage boys who died by suicide have sued Meta, alleging Instagram ignored the danger of sextortion schemes targeting teens. USA TODAY separately reported that 17-year-old Jordan DeMay died by suicide less than six hours after receiving an initial sextortion message in March 2022.
Indiana lawmakers have previously addressed the nonconsensual sharing of intimate images: a state Senate bill defines an “intimate image” and creates a civil cause of action against a person who discloses one without the depicted individual's consent, according to the Indiana General Assembly. Nicole provided information about the threats to the Porter County Sheriff's Department and federal authorities, though no updates on that investigation have been released.
If you or someone you know needs help, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
