In November 2022, 17-year-old James Woods came home from school and signed onto Instagram. Within hours, he was being extorted by someone he'd never met. By the next morning, he was gone.

In this episode, Preston sits down with James's father, Tim Woods, co-founder of the Do It For James Foundation. Tim shares — with extraordinary courage — who James was as a son, a runner, a chess player, and a friend. He walks us through the night that changed everything. And he tells us what he and his wife Tamia have done with their grief in the years since: speaking to hundreds of thousands of students, partnering with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, receiving the FBI Director's Award, and most recently, watching the Senate Judiciary Committee advance the James T. Woods Act — a crucial piece of legislation named for James.

This is one of the most important conversations we've had on the show. It is heavy. It is also deeply hopeful. And it is a clear-eyed look at one of the fastest-growing crimes targeting kids in America today.

A note for listeners: This episode includes discussion of sextortion, child exploitation, and suicide. If you or someone you love is in crisis, you can call or text 988 anytime to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• ​Do It For James Foundation: letsdoitfj.org
• ​Follow @DoItForJamesFoundation on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok
• ​Learn about The Exodus Road's prevention education program: influenced.org
• ​988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (call or text)

Until All Are Free is a production of The Exodus Road, a global anti-trafficking organization with a vision for a world where no human is ever bought, sold, or exploited. Learn more at uaafpod.com