South Carolina family sues Snapchat, says sexting scheme led to 13-year-old’s suicide
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — A Sumter family is suing social media giant Snapchat, blaming it for enabling a sexual exploitation scheme that resulted in their 13-year-old son’s suicide.
The 20-page complaint filed Friday in the U.S. District Cout’s Columbia district is seeking at least $10 million in damages, arguing that few safeguards were in place that prevented Timothy Barnett from being preyed on by an anonymous scammer.
“Snapchat is defectively designed with features that make the platform unreasonably dangerous for minors like Timothy,” the lawsuit states. Barnett’s estate is being represented by former U.S.
Rep. Joe Cunningham of Charleston and Columbia-based Jim Griffin, a seasoned criminal defense attorney who represented Alex Murdaugh in his murder trial.
Snapchat’s lack of age verification and inadequate warnings and parental controls, attorneys argue, is responsible for a child like Barnett getting easily tricked and then overwhelmed.
“Timothy fell victim to a sexual predator who extorted him by threatening to share sexually explicit images Timothy had been manipulated into sending via Snapchat,” the lawsuit states.
“Unable to cope with the trauma, shame and fear of exposure, Timothy took his own life.”
The language is similar to that included in an October lawsuit brought against social media companies Instagram and Meta, alleging both contribute to a deepening “youth mental health crisis.”
Horry County Schools’ Board of Education in December voted 8-1 in favor of retaining legal services to join the multi-district litigation action.
The 233-page suit was brought by attorneys general from 33 states, including South Carolina’s Alan Wilson. They claim the social media giants have violated consumer protection laws in several ways, including collecting data on minors without parental consent to create targeted marketing campaigns.
The suit seeks specific damages for minors in each state. South Carolina wants compensation under the state’s unfair trade practice law and seeks an undisclosed amount of money along with compensation for attorney’s fees and a $5,000 penalty for each individual violation.
By its own admission, Snapchat knows that a majority of its youngest users have been targeted in sexual exploitation scams.
Jacqueline Beauchere, Snap’s global head of platform safety, said in June that 65% of Gen Z teens and young adults across all social media platforms reported being targeted or having a friend targeted by online predators.
Before killing himself in his home on April 6, Timothy was an honors student, athlete and musician. He loved baseball, karate and playing the saxophone.
“He was a happy, outgoing child with a bright future ahead of him,” the lawsuit says.
Editor’s note: If you or someone you know is struggling with a mental health crisis and thinking about suicide, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also go to 988lifeline.org.
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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.
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