Three men were charged with running a "sextortion" ring in Nigeria and charged in the United States after the death of a Michigan teenager sparked an international investigation, officials said at a May 3 news conference.
Jordan DeMay, 17, received a message on Instagram in March 2022. It appeared to be a girl called Dani Roberts, but it was a hacked account acquired by Samuel Ogoshi, a 22-year-old Nigerian national, according to US Attorney Mark Totten.
Ogoshi had done research on DeMay, collecting photographs of family members, friends, and even his school. He merged these with the obscene photographs to create a "collage" that he threatened to disseminate widely unless DeMay paid him $1,000, according to the prosecution.
DeMay committed suicide just six hours after being blackmailed.
"As parents, we can't begin to imagine what Jordan went through that night, and how scared he was," DeMay's mother, Jennifer Buta, said.
DeMay's parents have been outspoken since his death, hopeful that sharing his story will serve as a warning to other families and ultimately save lives.
"He was the perfect mix of fun loving and hard working. He played hard, he loved hard and he never held back," Buta said. "He wanted to connect and be everyone's friend."
Within a week of DeMay's death, the FBI launched an investigation, said James Tarasca, special agent in charge of the FBI in Michigan. Evidence led investigators to Nigeria, where national authorities assisted.
The investigation "involved identifying dozens of victims, following the digital bread crumbs left behind by the sextortionists (on the internet), tracking the payments made by victims … and working with our Nigerian counterpart to identify our subjects in Nigeria," Tarasca said.
Sextortion is on the rise, Tarasca said, and perpetrators can be anywhere in the world, making it difficult to identify them, much less charge and bring them to justice.
"Make no mistake, charges of this type brought against subjects outside the United States are rare," Tarasca said.
"The techniques used and refined during this investigation will serve as a framework for disrupting criminal groups who engage in sextortion going forward."
All three men face charges of conspiracy to sexually exploit minors, and conspiracy to distribute child pornography, according to a Department of Justice news release. But Ogoshi is facing an additional charge of sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death, which carries a minimum 30 year sentence, or a maximum of life in prison if he is found guilty.
They are awaiting extradition to the United States, officials said.
The trio targeted over 100 people in the US, according to Totten.
"To those who are engaging in this crime, we will travel the world to find you and hold you accountable," he said.
Sextortionists use shame and embarrassment not only to blackmail their victims, but to keep them quiet.
"If you have been financially sextorted, remember the predator is to blame, not your child or you," Tarasca said.
Tarasca advises victims of online sextortion to block the culprit on whatever platform they contact you on, but not to erase any communications they've sent. Contact a trusted adult and police enforcement, as engaging with a blackmailer rarely ends the harassment.
"It may feel impossible to talk about this, but there are people who want to help you," he stated.
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