Northern Ireland: Schoolboy Ronan Hughes committed suicide after 'online trick'

A schoolboy from County Tyrone is believed to have taken his own life after being tricked into posting images on a social networking site.

Police are investigating the "sudden death" of Ronan Highes on 5 June in his home town of Coalisland.

Northern Ireland's police service have advised young people to be careful when using the internet, according to BBC News.

Superintendent Mike Baird, the district commander of Mid-Ulster, described the boy's death as "tragic". He cautioned against sharing personal information online with strangers.

"Officers have spoken to pupils at a school in the area and offered advice regarding safe internet use and any type of virtual interaction including social media sites, chatrooms and through interactive games," Supt Baird said.

"If anyone has experienced anything of a similar nature or has received any inappropriate images or links, it is important that they contact police or tell a trusted adult."

His head teacher, Geraldine Donnelly, published a statement on the school's website expressing sadness at the "untimely death of our dear pupil".

"Ronan's family have been heartened by the outpouring of support and sympathy in the last number of days. Together with Ronan's family, we want to try and protect other families from experiencing their terrible grief," Donnelly said.

Father Benny Fee told the Belfast Telegraph that the community had been left stunned and blamed "faceless individuals" for intimidating the teenager.

Fee said: "He did not take his own life. His life was taken by these faceless people who put the child into a burning building that he felt he could not escape."

It is believed that Hughes had told his parents about the cyber-bullying and made a complaint to police.

Fee added: "It is a total and absolute tragedy but it is a different kind of tragedy because there is an element of cyber-crime involved.

"It would frighten any of us how children can be the victim of these faceless individuals. These people had something that they were using as a lever to frighten the child.

"But he had told his parents and they went to the police. It is just so tragic that these faceless people have robbed a family and community of a much loved child."