The parents of a British teenager who took his own life after becoming a victim of sextortion have made a direct appeal to criminals in Nigeria to stop “terrorizing” the vulnerable.

Murray Dowey, from Dunblane, was just 16 when he ended his life last year.

He is believed to have been tricked by criminals in West Africa into sending intimate pictures of himself and then blackmailed.

Murray’s mother and father also condemned social media companies for not doing enough to protect youngsters, saying they had “blood on their hands”.

Sextortion often involves victims being sent a nude photo or video before being asked to send them in return.

They then receive threats that the material will be shared with family and friends unless they comply with the blackmailer’s demands – the pressure is believed to have led Murray to take his own life.

Mark and Ros Dowey have now recorded a video message regarding the “brutal” murder.

They said, “Child abuse. You ended Murray’s life.

“How would they feel if it was their child, their little brother or their friend? I mean, it’s so cruel, and it’s children, and it’s abuse.”

“You’re terrorizing people, children, for some money, and I don’t think that’s acceptable in any society in any way.”

Sextortion has become big business in Nigeria involving thousands of young people nicknamed “yahoo boys”.

Guides on how to engage in crime are openly available online, as a BBC News investigation revealed earlier this year.

BBC News spent months communicating with a Nigerian man actively involved sextortionpersuading him to give insight into this world.

He spoke to our colleagues in Lagos on condition of anonymity.

He told them: “I know it’s bad, but I just call it survival of the fittest”

He described sextortion as an “industry” and admitted to treating it like a game.

He added: “It depends on the fish you catch. You might throw the hook overboard. You might catch small fish or big fish.”

However, he was interpreted by Ros and Mark’s recorded message and appeared shocked by it.

He said he was “almost in tears” and felt “really bad”.

However, Murray’s parents do not only blame criminals for their son’s death.

They also hold tech companies accountable.

Sex offenders find their victims by targeting individuals on social media, then using their list of friends and followers in their blackmail attempts.

Ros told BBC News: “I think they have blood on their hands. The technologies are there for them to stop so many of these crimes.”

Mark thinks Silicon Valley could do more, but they won’t because it would cost them money.

He added: “It will prevent them from making more billions than they are making.”

“No Chance to Intervene”

Analysis by the UK’s National Crime Agency found that all age groups and genders are targeted, but that a most of the victims are boys and between the ages of 14 and 18.

Police believe the crime is underreported because victims are too scared or embarrassed to come forward.

Mark told the BBC his son was “a really nice kid” and his parents had no idea anything was wrong.

He said: “He went up to his room and he was absolutely fine. And you know, I found him dead the next morning.”

Ros’s mother added: “We had no chance to step in, notice that something was wrong and try to help and fix it.”

The Doweys will be involved in a launch campaign in Edinburgh later, warning young people about the dangers of sextortion.

As well as telling them about the risks of sharing intimate images online, the campaign – which will bring together Police Scotland, Crimestoppers and the Scottish Government – will give them advice on what to do and where to go for help if someone is being targeted by criminals.

Mark and Ros told BBC News they had a message for any young person who finds themselves a victim of sextortion.

The couple said: “There’s nothing worth taking your life over, so if something happens to you, put the phone down and go get someone you trust and tell them it happened.” .

“We can’t let this happen to more kids, which happened to Murray.”