Two Nigerian brothers, Samuel and Samson Ogoshi, have been sentenced to jail after their sextortion victim, Jordan DeMay, committed suicide.
ALSO READ: Two Nigerian Men Arrested Over Extortion Of Teenage Australian Boy Who Committed Suicide
The brothers were said to have orchestrated an elaborate scheme targeting over 100 victims, including at least 11 minors.
Using fake social media profiles, they tricked their victims into sharing sexually explicit images, which they then used to blackmail them. They threatened to leak the private photos if they refused to send them money through online applications.
Despite his desperate pleas for them to stop, including a warning that he might end his life if the harassment did not cease, the brothers’ response was chilling: “Good. Do that fast, or I’ll make you do it.”
DeMay, who had sent them hundreds of dollars, took his life shortly after.
The US Department of State revealed that DeMay, from Marquette, Michigan, succumbed to the blackmail and took his own life on 22 March 2022.
In November 2022, the US government charged the Ogoshi brothers and Ezekiel Robert, a fellow Nigerian national, with this scandal.
The brothers were extradited to the US in August 2023 and pleaded guilty in April.
However, Robert, who is still in Nigeria, has yet to be extradited, pending an appeal against his extradition order from a Nigerian court on 21 March.
During the trial, the defence argued that the brothers were influenced by drug abuse, a claim countered by federal prosecutors who maintained their guilt.
The court’s judgment highlighted the brothers’ “callous disregard for life,” noting their continued exploitation of other victims even after Jordan’s death.
In addition to their prison sentences, each brother has been sentenced to five years of supervised release. This case has drawn significant attention to the rising threat of online sexual exploitation and the need for stringent measures to combat such crimes.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland expressed his dismay and resolve, saying, “Today’s sentencing of Samuel and Samson Ogoshi sends a thundering message. These defendants sexually exploited and extorted more than 100 victims, including at least eleven minors, resulting in the tragic death of a 17-year-old high school student.
ALSO READ: Meta Bans 63,000 Accounts ‘From Nigeria’ Targeting US Men For Sextortion
“These sentences should serve as a warning that the perpetrators of online sexual exploitation and extortion cannot escape accountability for their heinous crimes by hiding behind their phones and computers.”
