STREETSBORO, Ohio — A male in his early twenties has been arrested in the Ivory Coast on charges related to the sextortion case that resulted in Streetsboro teen James Woods' death, Streetsboro Police confirmed to News 5.
The suspect is currently in jail in the Ivory Coast where he will be tried.
Sextortion is when an adult pretends to be the same age as a younger victim to get them to share explicit photos or videos of themselves on camera, authorities said. The individuals behind these types of cases are oftentimes untraceable and may even be living overseas.
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Streetsboro Police Department said this arrest would not have been possible without the determination of the Woods family and various law enforcement agencies.
More information will be released by law enforcement when it is available.
WHO IS JAMES WOODS? WHAT HAPPENED IN 2022?
In November 2022, 17-year-old James Woods took his life. Police later discovered he was a victim of sextortion after going through his cell phone.
After explicit images were sent to James through an Instagram account, the teen was convinced to share a compromising video of himself, which was then screen-shotted by a predator or predators, his family told News 5.
Shortly after that, the extortion part of the crime started. About 200 messages demanding money were sent to James over 20 hours.
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Tamia and Tim Woods told News 5 they remember their only child as an "awesome kid" who was humble, always smiling and loved hanging out with his friends and playing video games.
James was also a talented athlete who ran cross country and excelled as a hurdler on the Streetsboro track team.
Since then, the couple has turned their pain into passion by starting the Do It For James Foundation and giving hundreds of presentations to schools and organizations to raise awareness and save lives.
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Below is a list of resources regarding sextortion and suicide prevention:
- Crisis Text Line
- Mental Health Resources & Supports
- Sextortion Information: What Parents and Kids/Teen's Need to Know from the FBI
- Sextortion: What Families Should Know
- Suicide Contagion
