A teenage boy was found hanged in his bedroom by his mother, who claims naked images of him were shared online, before trolls taunted him through his Xbox.
Joel Crockett, 19, was found dead in April this year by mum Ruth, 52, who flagged down a passing car for help.
Ruth claims college student Joel, who had Asperger’s syndrome and learning difficulties, was blackmailed and taunted relentlessly through his Xbox after inappropriate images of him were circulated online in November last year.
Mum-of-four Ruth said: "Joel was bullied to death, yet bullying isn't a crime.
"Joel was vulnerable. He was conned and bullied into buying games, he set up overdrafts and credit cards, just things that were really out of character for him that would play on his mind.
"I went into the bedroom one day and Joel said a boy from school was sharing naked photos, but he said they weren’t of him and I didn’t need to worry.
"It turned out they were, but he seemed to be able to deal with it.
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"Three days before he passed away, I heard him being taunted through the Xbox, been called names like 'c**t'.
"Towards the end, I noticed signs of low mood, but never did I think he would kill himself. He was quieter than usual and he was sleeping a lot.
"The day before he did what he did, we went to see a friend who'd just had a baby, it was a time of celebration and he was just down but that week he'd started going to the gym, like he was ready to pull himself together again.
"I would have run to the end of the earth and back to protect him, I would have gone straight to the police if I knew how bad it had become for Joel."
Ruth, from Liverpool, said that three days before Joel’s death, he asked her for a ‘lump sum of money’, but she refused.
She said she believes he may have been blackmailed over the photos online and via his Xbox.
"He never told me what it was for, looking back now I think maybe he was being blackmailed for this photos," Ruth said.
"We were going to Spain in a few weeks so I said no. Looking back, I should have just given Joel the money."
Joel had been making plans to study sports science at college this September after quitting a drama course in November last year.
Since his death, Ruth has suffered with PTSD, and has been forced to quit her job as a carer and move in with her mother, Therese, after she was left with a 'gaping hole' in her life.
She said: “I’ve been on medication. The trauma is horrendous. He was the only dependent I had left with me.
“It has tipped my life upside down. The loss of him is just horrific but hopefully I’ll get justice, that’s all I’m praying for now.
"He was a beautiful character, he wouldn’t harm a fly. He wanted to be loved and he was, he didn’t realise how loved he was but he was adored.
“Everywhere he went he made an impact on people’s lives.
“He had Asperger’s and learning difficulties, but he was so approachable. He was full of love. He was innocent and pure, he wasn’t streetwise, he was sheltered.
“He loved football, Liverpool was his passion. He loved drama, he was a talented actor and he was very handsome.
"He was popular but he didn’t know it, people would tell him he was handsome but he never took it on board."
Ruth now hopes the law will be changed so that evidence is easier to obtain if someone is abused over a games console.
She said: "Anyone can come into your game and pull you apart and there is absolutely no evidence so they get away with it.
"Someone can make you feel horrible and there's absolutely no way to prove it.
"Death by suicide rips your heart out. I just wanted Joel to be happy, if he laughed, if he smiled, I was happy."
An inquest into Joel's death was opened and adjourned earlier this year, with the full inquest set to take place this November.
A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said: “A man was arrested on suspicion of sharing material with intent to cause distress following allegations material was shared during 2018.
"An 18-year-old man from Croxteth was arrested on July 9 and questioned. He has been released under investigation and enquiries are continuing.”
