South Carolina Family Sues SNAPCHAT Over 13-year-old’s SUICIDE Linked to Fraud Scheme
Bettsy Hauptman, a mother from South Carolina, sued Snapchat after her 13-year-old son Timothy Barnett committed himself on April 6, 2023. According to the lawsuit, Timothy died as a result of falling victim to a social media scam scheme.
When that horrible morning arrived, everything was going as usual for the Hauptmans. We were preparing for the day. He told Fox News Digital, “The alarm went off at about 6:15.” Timothy’s stepfather, her husband, initially believed he saw someone sleeping in the yard, but it turned out to be Timothy.
After six months, Hauptman discovered that her kid had been forced to send obscene Snapchat photos. The FBI defines sextortion as when criminals force victims to give sexual content in return for money or even more explicit content. Hauptman discovered this information deep within Timothy’s closed suicide case.
A Snapchat spokesperson expressed sympathies and stated that the company had a stringent policy against predators. “We use proactive detection tools to find and remove these types of criminals and work around the clock to support law enforcement investigations,” according to a spokeswoman. Snapchat also discussed the safety precautions it has in place for teens, such as programs that teach them how to recognize and report threats.
Hauptman and her husband attempted to monitor their children’s online activity, but they were unaware of the dangers Timothy was exposed to. They frequently checked their children’s phones. Hauptman discovered a disturbing video sent to Timothy over Snapchat in November 2022. They informed Timothy of the dangers, blocked the sender, and temporarily took away his phone.
Hauptman’s lawyer, Joe Cunningham, stated that Snapchat’s design was risky and that if such problems arose in real life, they would be addressed immediately. The action, filed in federal court in South Carolina, alleges that Snapchat’s characteristics make it too harmful for children. It alleges that Timothy’s abuse and eventual suicide were exacerbated by the platform’s vanishing texts and lax parental controls.
According to the lawsuit, Snapchat’s “disappearing” communications encourage harmful behavior such as sexting and cyberbullying. It also claims that people can preserve or record these messages, despite Snapchat’s statement that they cannot. The allegation states that this leads to exploitation, particularly among teenagers who believe what the software claims.
Tim’s circumstances aren’t exceptional. A similar strategy claimed the life of State Rep. Brandon Guffey’s 17-year-old son, and he has sued Meta, Instagram’s parent company. Guffey emphasizes the fact that children are not safeguarded on social networking platforms and encourages parents to demand more safety measures.
The horrific things that happened to Guffey and Hauptman raise concerns about the safety of children on social media. Hauptman remembers her son as a vivacious, brave child who enjoyed baseball and the saxophone. “He was always the one to light up the room when he walked in,” she continued.
The death of Timothy is still being investigated. Hauptman is suing Snapchat to hold them accountable and prevent other families from going through the same ordeal.