Death shows dark side of the internet - Price of extortion

THE tragic death of teenager Ronan Hughes highlights not just the ongoing problem of cyberbullying but the growing phenomenon of criminal gangs extorting money from vulnerable individuals.

Ronan Hughes, 17, from Co Tyrone, was found dead on Friday. It is thought he took his own life after being duped into posting images of himself on the internet.

According to Geraldine Donnelly, the principal at St Joseph’s Grammar School in Donaghmore which he attended, Ronan was being blackmailed by foreign criminals into giving them money.