Current:Home > MarketsA teen’s death in a small Michigan town led the FBI and police to an online sexual extortion scheme-LoTradeCoin
A teen’s death in a small Michigan town led the FBI and police to an online sexual extortion scheme
View Date:2024-12-23 21:09:31
WASHINGTON (AP) — Last year, a teenager in a small Michigan town killed himself after an online chat turned to demands that he pay money to keep intimate photos secret. He was one of dozens of people targeted online by two men extradited from Nigeria to face charges, FBI director Christopher Wray said Saturday.
The arrests came after the FBI joined with police in Michigan to investigate the death of 17-year-old Jordan DeMay, one thousands of American teenagers targeted in a sharp rise in online “sextortion” cases in recent years.
“They will face charges in the U.S. for what they did to Jordan, but also unfortunately, a whole bunch of other young men and teenage boys,” Wray said in an interview with The Associated Press. “You’re talking about a crime that doesn’t respect borders. We make sure our partnerships don’t have any borders either.”
Wray highlighted the case in a speech to the International Association of Chiefs of Police about the ways the agency assists police in tackling violent crime, fentanyl and gangs. In a year where tensions between Congress and the FBI have run high at times, Wray focused on the agency’s relationships with U.S. police departments large and small, including some 6,000 task force officers around the country.
“The threats that we face collectively around the country are incredibly daunting,” he said. “By far and away, the most effective means of tackling those threats is teamwork.”
After DeMay’s death in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the FBI joined the investigation by the sheriff’s department in Marquette County and state police. DeMay had thought he was chatting with a girl on Instagram about his own age, and the conversation quickly turned to a request for explicit pictures, authorities said.
But once he shared images of himself, the talk changed to demands for money in exchange for the other side not sending the images to DeMay’s family and friends. When the teenager could not pay, the person on the other end pushed DeMay to kill himself, authorities said.
DeMay had never been talking with a girl, according to the FBI, which said that on the other end were two brothers from Nigeria using a hacked Instagram account. They researched him online, using details about his friends and family to target their threats. They also tried to contact more than 100 people the same way, authorities said.
The pair, Samuel Ogoshi and Samson Ogoshi of Lagos, Nigeria, have pleaded not guilty. Samuel Ogoshi’s lawyer declined to comment. Samson Ogoshi’s lawyer did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
The FBI has seen a tenfold increase in “sextortion” cases since 2021. A least 3,000 children and teenagers have been targeted, and more than a dozen have killed themselves. Many schemes are believed to be originating with scammers based in African countries such as Nigeria and the Ivory Coast. Most victims are between age 14 and 17, but kids as young as 10 have been targeted.
DeMay’s mother, Jennifer Buta, said he was an easygoing high school athlete with a girlfriend and a big circle of friends. He was preparing to go a trip to Florida with his father the night before his death, she said. HIs family has since spoken out about his death, urging other parents to talk with their kids about “sextortion” schemes.
“It’s important parents know that this can happen. Their child is not an exception. If they are on social media, it can happen so quickly,” she said. “Parents need to let their kids know that they can come to them with anything, and their parents are there to help them and guide them through these situations.”
veryGood! (68)
Related
- Lala Kent Swears by This Virgo-Approved Accessory and Shares Why Stassi Schroeder Inspires Her Fall Style
- National Cheeseburger Day 2024: Get deals at McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, more
- Prefer to deposit checks in person? Bank branches may soon be hard to come by, report says
- Ukraine boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk released after brief detention in Poland
- Diddy's ex-bodyguard sues rape accuser for defamation over claims of 2001 assault
- How much do you tip? If you live in these states, your answer may be lower.
- MLB playoff bracket 2024: Wild card matchups, AL and NL top seeds for postseason
- Anna Delvey's 'lackluster' 'Dancing With the Stars' debut gets icy reception from peeved viewers
- Everard Burke Introduce
- What is the slowest-selling car in America right now?
Ranking
- Pedro Pascal's Sister Lux Pascal Debuts Daring Slit on Red Carpet at Gladiator II Premiere
- Americans can now renew passports online and bypass cumbersome paper applications
- Vanderpump Rules’ Lala Kent Shares First Photo of Baby Girl Sosa's Face
- Who's that baby hippo on your timeline? Meet the wet, chubby 'lifestyle icon' captivating the internet
- Olympic Skier Lindsey Vonn Coming Out of Retirement at 40
- Federal Reserve is set to cut interest rates for the first time in 4 years
- Eagles' Nick Sirianni explains why he didn't address players following loss to Falcons
- Chiefs RB depth chart: How Isiah Pacheco injury, Kareem Hunt signing impacts KC backfield
Recommendation
-
Detroit-area police win appeal over liability in death of woman in custody
-
Despite confusion, mail voting has not yet started in Pennsylvania
-
RHOC's Emily Simpson Tearfully Confronts Heather Dubrow Over Feeling Singled Out for Her Body
-
Mississippi program aims to connect jailed people to mental health services
-
Gerry Faust, the former head football coach at Notre Dame, has died at 89
-
False reports of explosives found in a car near a Trump rally spread online
-
You Have 1 Day Left To Get 40% off Lands’ End Sitewide Sale With Fall Styles Starting at $9
-
JoJo Details Battles With Alcohol and Drug Addictions