An 18-year-old from Wales took his own life after becoming the victim of an online sextortion scam run by criminals based in West Africa, an inquest has heard. Cai Rhys Davies, from Pontypridd, died in hospital four days after attempting to take his own life in May last year.
Details of the Sextortion Scam
The hearing was told he had been blackmailed after sending intimate images to someone he believed was a woman he had met online. Police investigators later traced phone numbers and messages linked to the scam to an address in Ivory Coast. Detective Constable Jack Cotton told the inquest Cai had fallen victim to a "large scale operation in the Ivory Coast" carrying out sextortion scams.
The teenager believed he had been speaking to a white woman living in London called Melissa Calvert through what the inquest heard was a fake dating site. Instead, officers said the account was being controlled by a fraudster who persuaded Cai to send intimate photographs and videos before demanding money.
Threats and Impact
On May 29, 2025, the scammer threatened to send the images and videos to Cai's friends and family and upload them to YouTube, telling him it would "ruin his life." The court heard Cai replied that he could not pay because he was at hospital with his grandmother. Rachel Denner, who had previously supported Cai at school, also told the hearing she received a Facebook message from the Melissa Calvert account containing explicit images and videos of him.
The following day, Cai was found unresponsive in his bedroom by his parents after attempting to take his own life. He died in hospital four days later.
Investigation and Legal Outcome
DC Cotton said investigators believed Cai had been the victim of a blackmail sextortion scam. Although officers were able to trace phone numbers and messages to Ivory Coast, the gang responsible could not be identified and criminal proceedings could not be pursued.
The inquest also heard Cai had experienced significant trauma earlier in life. His mother died by suicide when he was four years old and his father died from sepsis when he was five. His brother, Ethan Davies, said Cai later lived with his grandparents and rarely spoke about losing his parents. He also struggled with ADHD and behavioural issues.
Coroner's Conclusion
South Wales coroner Rachel Knight recorded Cai's medical cause of death as hypoxic brain injury. Delivering her conclusion, she said: "I find that it was more likely than not that personal stress in his life and becoming the victim of a sextortion scam more than minimally contributed to his death by suicide."
The coroner also said there was a lack of public awareness about the dangers of sextortion scams and confirmed she would prepare a Prevention of Future Deaths report for the Government.
