COLUMBIA, S.C. (Legal Newsline) - The owner of Snapchat faces wrongful death litigation after a 13-year-old boy killed himself after a sexual predator threatened to release explicit photos of him.
The Estate of Timothy Barnett, represented by Elizabeth Ann Barnett, filed a lawsuit May 17 in South Carolina federal court against Snap Inc.
The case arises from the suicide of 13-year-old Timothy Isaiah Barnett on April 6, 2023, following his alleged victimization through sextortion on Snapchat, a social media platform owned by Snap Inc.
The lawsuit alleges that Snapchat's design is inherently dangerous for minors due to inadequate age verification and parental controls, which allowed Timothy to be exploited by an adult predator posing as a young girl.
The complaint accuses Snap Inc. of strict liability for design defects, failure to warn, negligence per se, and general negligence. It seeks compensatory damages exceeding $10 million for pre-death pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life, along with punitive damages.
"Timothy was an honors student, athlete and musician who loved baseball, karate and playing the saxophone," the suit says. "He was a happy, outgoing child with a bright future ahead of him."
Timothy thought he was communicating with a young girl in early 2023, but she was actually an adult predator who manipulated him into sending sexually explicit images, the suit says. The predator then threatened to share those images unless Timothy met their demands, the suit says.
It claims Timothy was overwhelmed by shame and fear and committed suicide.
The plaintiff argues that Snap Inc.'s product features — such as disappearing messages and the "My Eyes Only" feature — facilitate sexual exploitation and abuse. The suit also claims that Snap Inc. failed to implement effective safeguards despite being aware of the risks posed to young users.
James Griffin and Margaret Fox of Griffin Humphries represent the plaintiff, as does Joe Cunningham of Charleston.