At Martin’s social media safety event, a grieving mother tells story of sextortion involving son

“It’s not a message I wanted to share, but one I have to share,” Tricia Maciejewski told The Independence.

It’s the reason this grieving mother took the stage at Lampeter-Strasburg High School Thursday night.

State Senator Scott Martin (R-Lancaster) hosted the event on social media safety and parental awareness aimed at providing parents and educators potentially life-saving information on the dangers lurking online and how to protect children from online predators.

“What our kids have access to, who our kids have access to, and who has access to our kids, is like nothing we’ve ever seen before,” Martin told the audience gathered inside the auditorium.

“I’m not an expert,” Maciejewski began. “I was the mom of two boys. My thirteen-year-old son Levi was the victim of a crime known as financial sextortion.”

Levi passed away in August 2024.

“Education is the key to preventing another tragedy,” Maciejewski said.

Sextortion is described as sexual exploitation involving an online predator tricking someone into giving them nude or compromising images, demanding money, and threatening to share the photos or video if they don’t follow the demands. This type of blackmail often targets children.

“Levi was the victim of a crime he didn’t know existed and neither did I,” his mother told the hushed crowd.

The Cumberland County coroner ruled his death a homicide and the District Attorney’s Office is investigating.

Maciejewski described Levi as “bold and confident.” She said he loved sports as a photo of Levi in his baseball uniform appeared on screen. His father Mark was the longtime football coach at Shippensburg University.

“Levi would thank his coaches,” she said. “He would always tell me ‘I love you mom.’ He had a passion for life.”

The chilling events which led to his passing began in July 2024.

“It was a Sunday evening and Levi was laying in a hammock,” Maciejewski recounted. He asked if he could get an Instagram account.”

She said he has asked for other apps in the past. 

“My husband and I had said no to some, but our older son had used Instagram, usually for sports,” she said.

There hadn’t been any issues, so Maciejewski and her husband allowed Levi to use Instagram.

Maciejewski said it didn’t take long for “a young lady to contact him online”, as a photo of Levi working out appeared on the large screen. “Threats soon followed,” leading up to Levi’s passing.

“Children have impressionable minds,” she said.

Maciejewski warned of the dangers lurking on social media, naming Meta, Facebook’s corporate owner. 

“Big tech has given our children to the world,” she lamented, urging tech companies to put more safeguards in place to protect children. “Professional criminals weaponize kids’ brains, creating fear and shame.”

Maciejewski denounced what she termed the “addictive nature” of social media. 

“The time for accountability has arrived,” she insisted.

She has established the Live Like Levi Foundation to honor her son’s memory.

Her strongest message is for moms, dads, and guardians, telling them to keep the lines of communication open and monitor their children’s online use.

“Parents, tell your children, if something feels off it probably is,” Maciejewski urged. “Put the devices down and seek help.” 

Some of that help was with her on stage taking part in the panel discussion organized by Martin. Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams was among the panelists.

“The predators often pose as teenage girls and are outside the U.S,” Adams said of the sextortion cases her office is tracking. “They typically target teenage males on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and other online platforms with an alarming number of suicide victims.”

Adams addressed issues of cyberbullying and deepfakes involving artificial intelligence being used to generate nude images.

She cited a recent case where two juvenile males pleaded guilty and were sentenced in juvenile court for creating those types of images involving dozens of students at Lancaster Country Day School.

The Pennsylvania Legislature is getting involved, having passed Act 125 which prohibits the use of AI technology to depict anyone under eighteen engaging in nudity or sexual contact. Another bill being considered requires mandatory reporters to report these kinds of behavior to find and punish online predators.

“We’re pushing for change,” Adams said.

This educational forum drew the attention of ESPN. The national sports network sent a crew to record the event.

“We have to be committed to this longterm,” Martin said.

Mental health professionals and representatives with the Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance also took part in the discussion.

Alliance director Justin Donafrio advised children, “If someone says they have something over you, come to your parents knowing there’s no judgement. There’s no better expert than a loving parent.”

Following the event, Mandy Howe a parent of two children, ages seventeen and ten, said the event was eye-opening.

“Seeing the difference in technology and what’s out there that could harm kids online and through technology, it’s concerning and I wanted to be educated,” she said.

Martin described the discussion as “a beginning,” saying, “We’re trying to create a model to be used across the state.”

Fighting back tears, Maciejewski said afterward, “I wish I knew then what I know now.”

Moving forward, she is working to help others at events like this one and through her foundation, calling it, “a mission.” She’s motivated by Levi’s love for life and the hope that she can spare another parent the kind of pain she endures.

Love for her son and the family’s faith helps sustain her. Speaking to The Independence, she recited Levi’s favorite scripture, Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” She opened her hand to show the Independence a cross.

Barbara Barr is a former reporter for WGAL in Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna Valley where she led political coverage that earned a Walter Cronkite Award.