Two Nigerian brothers have received a sentence of 17 and a half years in federal prison after admitting to sexually extorting more than 100 young men and teenage boys in the U.S., which includes a tragic case involving a Michigan high school student who took his own life, as reported by prosecutors.

Samuel Ogoshi, 24, and Samson Ogoshi, 21, both declared their guilt in April for their involvement in a conspiracy to sexually exploit teenage boys, leading to their extradition from Nigeria to the United States, confirmed the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan. They were charged for orchestrating an international sextortion operation that impersonated young women to ensnare over 100 victims, including at least 11 minors.

According to prosecutors, the brothers executed their sextortion scheme from Nigeria, where they acquired hacked social media accounts to attract victims with bogus profiles. This operation has been linked to the death of a 17-year-old student, Jordan DeMay, in March 2022.

DeMay tragically died by a self-inflicted gunshot in his home located in Marquette, Michigan, after being blackmailed by Samuel Ogoshi, based on court documents.

“To those engaged in these criminal activities: you will not escape justice. We will pursue you relentlessly, even if it means going across the globe,” stated U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “To parents, teens, and all cell phone users: exercise caution. These devices can connect you with criminal networks worldwide. Do not take people at face value. Do not share sensitive images, and if you find yourself a victim, reach out for help.”

Recently, financial sextortion incidents have surged, with scammers masquerading as attractive women on social media to persuade men into sending nude or suggestive photos. The criminals then use the compromising material to extort money by threatening to share the images online or send them to the victim’s friends and family.

Ogoshi brothers compiled collages of victims’ personal photos

Prosecutors revealed that the Ogoshis used fictitious social media accounts to communicate with their victims. They extensively researched their targets online to gather information about their location, workplace, school, and families.

The brothers solicited explicit images from their underage victims and assembled collages that combined the compromising photos with other pictures of the victims alongside their schoolmates, family, and friends. They threatened the victims, saying they would reveal these collages to their families and friends unless they received payment via online cash apps, as detailed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The Ogoshis “utilized and shared scripts and methods to extort victims for money,” per the court documents. An excerpt from one script illustrates this:

“Hey, I have screenshots of all your followers and those who comment on your posts. I can circulate these nude photos to everyone and make them go viral. All you need to do is cooperate with me, and I won’t reveal you,” reads an indictment.

Michigan teen faced blackmail involving explicit images for $1,000

The Ogoshis operated an Instagram account under the handle “dani.robertts,” as documented by court filings. On March 25, 2022, Samuel Ogoshi targeted DeMay using this account.

Court records indicate that Samuel Ogoshi solicited a sexually explicit photo from DeMay and then threatened to disseminate it to the teen’s social media audience, including friends and family, unless he paid $1,000. After DeMay managed to pay only $300, Ogoshi continued to issue threats about sending the image to the teen’s loved ones.

DeMay, feeling overwhelmed, messaged about his intention to end his life, as per court documents. The records show Samuel Ogoshi’s chilling replies, including “Good,” “Do that fast,” and “Or I’ll make you do it.”

Additionally, prosecutors noted that Samson Ogoshi also employed the same Instagram account to target a 21-year-old resident of Warrens, Wisconsin.

Sextortion operations span across nations

A report released in June by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and technology nonprofit Thorn highlighted that teenage boys are frequently the main targets of these sextortion schemes. It further identified Nigeria as a significant country associated with such schemes.

The individuals behind these schemes are often part of extensive crime networks or smaller organized groups. In July, it was reported by Reuters that Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, had taken down nearly 63,000 accounts in Nigeria that were engaged in sextortion, primarily directed at adult men in the U.S.

Federal authorities have issued warnings about sextortion schemes being a “growing threat targeting our nation’s youth.” Between October 2021 and March 2023, the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations logged over 13,000 reports concerning online financial sextortion involving minors.

According to the FBI, these schemes involved at least 12,600 victims, predominantly boys, and resulted in a minimum of 20 suicides.

If you or someone you know may be a victim of online sexual violence, including sextortion, organizations like the National Sexual Violence Resource Center are available to help survivors and their families.Visit NSVRC.org for support and resources.

If you or someone you know requires mental health support, please reach out for help.

For resources and assistance, you can call, text, or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You can also visit 988lifeline.org for round-the-clock access to free and confidential support services.

Contributors: Krystal Nurse and Natalie Neysa Alund, YSL News; Reuters