Here's a reminder that you can button up the southern border but we live in a world where bad guys can get to anyone on the planet with an internet connection.
Up in Michigan, 17-year-old Jordan DeMay took his own life after Nigerian extortionists posed as women, lured him into sending nudes, then threatened him if he didn't pay up.
So sad. These men prey on minors, and the scam is so effective that a kid took his life because he couldn't pay.
International "sextortion" is a "rising and very serious threat targeting our minors nationwide" according to Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan.
We often hear of relational blackmail and AI-generated nudes that target young women these days, but the FBI notes that between October 2021 and March 2023, "the majority of online financial extortion victims were boys."
At least 20 suicides have been reported as a result.
DeMay was one of those victims.
Two brothers from Nigeria pleaded guilty Wednesday in connection with an international sextortion ring, in which they threatened to release a nude photo of a 17-year-old Michigan boy, driving him to commit suicide inside his home.
Samuel Ogoshi, 22, and Samson Ogoshi, 20, each pleaded guilty to conspiring to sexually exploit teenage boys, US Attorney Mark Totten said in a statement.
The Lagos brothers face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years behind bars, US Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten said in a statement.
They were originally charged with conspiracy to sexually exploit minors, conspiracy to distribute child porn and conspiracy to commit stalking over the internet in a plot against dozens of young men and teen boys in the US.
In exchange for the plea agreement, the other charges will be dropped …
The Ogoshis — who had previously been extradited from Nigeria to stand trial — were remanded to the custody of federal marshals after pleading guilty.
A Nigerian court recently ordered Robert, 19, the third defendant, to be extradited to the US, but he has appealed that decision and the matter is before the country's High Court, officials said.
According to the FBI, "Charges of this type brought against subjects outside of the United States are rare. Securing extradition of these subjects is even more rare."
Here's how these extortionists ended up killing Michigan teenager Jordan DeMay:
DeMay, 17, was found dead in his home of a self-inflicted gunshot wound March 25, 2022, after an Instagram account officials said was run by the three Nigerian men threatened to release explicit photos of the teen if he did not pay $1,000 …
The Marquette teen took his his own life after he was contacted by an Instagram account with the username "@dani.robertts," officials have said.
"I can send this [sic] nudes to everyone and also send your nudes Until it goes viral," Samuel messaged DeMay after the teen sent an explicit photo of himself, officials said.
Though the account appeared to be run by a woman, prosecutors said it was actually one of the several hacked profiles the sextorting trio used to entice and manipulate DeMay and others.
Despite being asked for $1,000, DeMay sent only $300, which prompted Samuel to threaten to forward the image to the high school football player's family and friends.
They talked for weeks, and DeMay was truly convinced that "Dani" was a nice girl he'd met on the internet.
Such a sad story. But I'm so glad to see that these men are being punished for their crime.
I'll leave you with a little information on how to avoid these sexual extortionists, and scammers in general, because you can protect your kids from Disney and groomer teachers and Venezuelan illegals, but some rando in Nigeria might still be able to get to them:
The U.S. Department of Justice offers the following safety tips:
- Be selective about what you share online. If your social media accounts are open to everyone, a predator may be able to figure out a lot of information about you.
- Be wary of anyone you encounter for the first time online. Block or ignore messages from strangers.
- Be aware that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that people are who they claim to be. Images can be altered or stolen. In some cases, predators have even taken over the social media accounts of their victims.
- Be suspicious if you meet someone on one game or app and that person asks you to start talking on a different platform.
- Be in the know. Any content you create online — whether it is a text message, photo, or video — can be made public. And nothing actually "disappears" online. Once you send something, you don't have any control over where it goes next.
- Be willing to ask for help. If you are getting messages or requests online that don't seem right, block the sender, report the behavior to the site administrator, or go to an adult. If you have been victimized online, tell someone. Being a victim of sextortion is not your fault. You can get through this challenge, even if it seems scary and overwhelming. There are people who want to help.
Keep your head on a swivel out there, folks.
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