Two Nigerian men were sentenced to 210 months in a Michigan federal court for their part in an online sexual extortion scheme that resulted in the suicide of a teenage boy named Jordan DeMay. The men, Samuel and Samson Ogoshi, bought hacked Instagram accounts to deceive adult men and underage boys into sending explicit images, threatening to release the images to family and friends unless they paid up. The brothers attempted to extort over 100 people in this manner.
DeMay, a high school senior and athlete, was unable to pay the $1,000 demanded by the Ogoshi brothers and tragically took his own life within six hours of being blackmailed. His parents have since been vocal about their son’s story, hoping to raise awareness and prevent similar tragedies from occurring. The Ogoshi brothers were extradited from Nigeria to the US and pleaded guilty to sexually exploiting teenage boys, facing a 17.5-year prison sentence each.
This case has highlighted the growing issue of financial sextortion among teenagers, prompting legislative action and initiatives to combat online sexual exploitation of children. President Joe Biden signed a bill requiring online platforms to report violations to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Resources are available for those in crisis, including the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Jordan’s story serves as a tragic reminder of the dangers of online exploitation and the urgent need to protect vulnerable individuals.
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