2 Nigerians sentenced to more than 17 years in ‘sextortion’ case that led to suicide of Michigan teen – DNyuz

Two Nigerian men were each sentenced to 210 months in prison in a Michigan federal court on Thursday for their roles in an online sex extortion operation that authorities say left a teenage boy committing suicide.

Two years ago, 17-year-old Jordan DeMay was told that sexually explicit images he believed he had sent to a girl would be released unless he paid $1,000 to keep them secret. His death in March 2022 prompted the FBI’s Michigan office to investigate.

According to authorities, Nigerian brothers Samuel and Samson Ogoshi purchased hacked Instagram accounts to trick both adult males and underage boys into sending explicit images. The Ogoshi brothers then threatened to send the images to family and friends if their targets did not pay them.

The indictment against the brothers alleges that they attempted to extort more than 100 people through this scheme.

According to NBC News affiliate WLUC, both men are facing 17.5 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to sexually exploit teenage boys.

The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, but can be punished up to 30 years.

The Ogoshi brothers were extradited from Nigeria to the U.S. in August 2023. According to U.S. authorities, a third suspect in the case has appealed his own extradition.

Jordan was a senior at Marquette Senior High School, where he played both football and basketball. He could not pay the $1,000 the Ogoshi brothers demanded of him and sent a message saying he would commit suicide because of them.

Excerpts of messages included in the indictment against the brothers show that they respond to him “well.”

“Do it fast… Or I will make you do it… I swear to God,” the message read.

Jordan died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound within six hours of being blackmailed, his parents said. His mother, Jennifer Buta, said it has become her life’s mission to share her son’s story in the hopes that it will “save another child’s life.”

“Financial sextortion is the fastest growing crime among our teens and change will come when someone is held accountable for what is happening to these children,” Buta told NBC News earlier this year, following legislative action on the issue.

President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan bill in May that requires online platforms to report online child sexual exploitation violations to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.

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