A Canadian mother is warning teenagers to be aware of the dangers of the Internet, after her 15-year-old daughter took her own life in 2012.
Carol Todd from Canada was speaking at Newry, Mourne and Down Policing and Community Safety Partnership when she described the events that lead to Amanda’s tragic passing.
Speaking openly and honestly, Carol explained that when her daughter was 12-years-old she started posting videos of her singing on YouTube.
"Then, she started having a conversation with a teenage boy. This grew into what I suppose you would call an internet crush. "Eventually, this boy convinced her to lift her top. And she did,” she told the BBC.
"Unknown to her at the time, this person took a picture at the other end and began to threaten her - if she didn't do what he wanted, he would post the picture to her Facebook page."
It wasn’t until the police arrived at her door in 2010, that Carol realised something was going on.
"I hadn't realised what was happening or that the photo had been published," she explained before adding that the 16-year-old boy was, in fact, a 35-year-old man.
Before her death, Amanda made a YouTube video describing the bullying that she endured where she explains in detail what happened to her.
Talking at the two-day event, Carol wants teenagers to be aware of online danger and to seek help if they find themselves caught up in any kind of situation.
"What I've learned in the last three and a half years is that what happened to my daughter is not an isolated case. If kids are going through these kind of things, they need to get support from friends, families, teachers and the police," she said.
"We need to have the conversations with kids, to empower them."
