internet scam
A South Korean surfs an Internet site at an Internet cafe in Seoul Reuters/You Sung-ho

A video of a 12-year-old girl committing suicide has found its way online. The footage originated from a mobile app for live-streaming called Live.me and eventually circulated on Facebook, YouTube and other websites. Authorities are now struggling to have the video removed across the Internet.

The video shows Katelyn Nicole Davis confessing that she was physically and sexually abused by a relative before she took her own life. The clip was broadcasted by Davis on Dec. 30 and was later taken down by Live.me.

However, some netizens were able to secure a copy of the video and have it reposted online. Polk County police said they are powerless to stop the video from appearing online amid requests from the majority for the suicide video to be taken down.

Police chief Kenny Dodd told Fox5 that an officer from California first contacted him about the video. He said they have gotten in touch with several websites that embedded the video and urged them to remove it, but they had refused. “We want it down as much as anyone for the family and it may be harmful to other kids,” he said.

Meanwhile, Live.me assured that they will support the authorities in their investigation. A spokesperson of the mobile app sent an emailed statement to Mashable on Thursday, in which the company assured that it is actively working to track down the content and have it removed from Facebook and other video sharing sites.

“We were deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of the tragic passing of community member Katelyn Nicole Davis on 12/30. Out of respect to her family, friends, and to the entire Live.me community, her account and videos were removed as soon as we were alerted and have been archived to support law enforcement in their investigations,” the company said in the statement.

Live.com has also urged everyone to prevent suicide cases by contacting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, suicide hotline is 08-93-81-5555.