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POTSDAM — Nearly every school in St. Lawrence County is scheduled to have state police give presentations to students about online safety. The families of Riley K. Basford, Shylynn M. Dixon and Evan T. McDaniel have all played a significant role in increasing the number of safety presentations given across the county by state police. Each family had acutely similar stories about how their teenage loved one died of suicide after suffering blackmail and sextortion online. Trooper Jennifer V. Fleishman said presenters include investigators from their computer crime unit and herself. Theyâ�...

POTSDAM — State Sen. Patricia A. Ritchie announced Tuesday that she’s introducing a bill to help prevent suicides in young people, a measure prompted by two teenagers in St. Lawrence County who died after being manipulated and extorted online. The legislation by Sen. Ritchie, R-Heuvelton, would provide educators and their students with resources related to suicide prevention, as well as important information regarding social media safety and cyberbullying. The proposed legislation comes after Riley K. Basford, 15, of Potsdam, and Shylynn M. Dixon, 18, of Lisbon, died by suicide afte...

POTSDAM — The family of Riley K. Basford has been connected with a public speaker who could bring the 15-year-old’s story of extortion to thousands of students. The plan is underscored by a third family whose 14-year-old son was blackmailed online to the point his predator encouraged the suicide that would eventually happen. Mary C. Rodee and Darren E. Basford, the parents of Riley, recently met with the superintendent of Potsdam schools. The parents were there to get help with finding Paul Davis, the public speaker who has presented to more than 600,000 students across the United S...