P.E.I. Cyberbullying Awareness Day just the beginning for father of teen

The first-ever Cyberbullying Awareness Day on Prince Edward Island may have passed but for the father of the boy the day was created to remember, the job isn’t close to done.

Carl Burke spoke with nursing students about suicide at the University of P.E.I. Friday morning.

His son, 17-year-old Harry Burke, died after falling victim to a sextortion scam.

“Harry came to me and said, ‘Dad, I screwed up,’ and I said, ‘Well, what did you do?’ and he had said, ‘I shared pictures with a girl.’”

But it wasn’t a girl. The scammer demanded money, threating to expose Harry to his friends, family, bosses, and coworkers if the teen didn’t pay them off.

Harry Burke is pictured. (Source: Carl Burke)“This individual actually contacted my wife and said, ‘I am going to ruin his life, and ruin his career,’” said Burke. “I think that really, really hit it home for Harry, because he didn’t feel like he was safe anywhere.”

Less than 24 hours later, the boy had died. That was a year ago.

Burke said it’s a hurt that will never go away.

“He is the last thing I think about when I go to bed and night, and the first thing I think about when my feet hit the floor in the morning,” said Burke.

Burke said his son was a bright young man, driven to make the world a better place. He was a new Canadian reservist only one weekend away from finishing basic training.

Harry Burke is pictured. (Source: Carl Burke)On Thursday P.E.I. marked its first Cyberbullying Awareness Day in memory of Harry.

“It is so special, so important, and it will help people to stand up and take notice. ‘I need to know what my kids are doing on that phone,’” said Burke.

He’s raising awareness of how vulnerable children and teens are online and how they’re being targeted.

Burke said he’s going to keep telling his son’s story, over and over again, in the hopes no family has to face the same heartbreak as his.

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