A Pennsylvania coroner has ruled a 13-year-old boy’s death this summer as homicide due to sextortion.

Levi Maciejewski was found dead of a gunshot wound in the backyard of his family’s home in Cumberland County in August, WGAL reported. District Attorney Sean McCormack confirmed the coroner’s ruling.

“The circumstances leading up to his death, a situation involving him being the victim of sextortion, plays a critical role in (the homicide) determination,” McCormack said, according to WPMT.

The boy’s mother, Tricia Maciejewski, said in a statement on Facebook that “an online predator coerced, threatened, and blackmailed him, leading to devastating consequences.”

“Efforts are underway to identify and hold the responsible party accountable,” she wrote. “We were an ordinary family with typical teenage kids, and our lives have been irreparably changed by this unfathomable crime.”

Maciejewski asked for privacy but said the family was making a statement to “bring awareness to the dangers of sextortion and prevent others from experiencing the pain we endure every day.”

Both Maciejewski and the district attorney urged anyone who has experienced sextortion to seek help immediately.

“We join with the Maciejewski family in encouraging the public that if you or someone you know has been a victim of sextortion, please visit the CyberTip Report or call the CyberTipline at 1-800-THE-LOST for support,” McCormack said.

Maciejewski also said more information can be found at missingkids.org/netsmartz/topics/sextortion.

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[Featured image: Levi Maciejewski/Fogelsanger-Bricker Funeral Home]