Sextortion, a form of blackmail involving the exploitation of intimate images to coerce victims into compliance has landed two Nigerian siblings in prison.
A United States court sentenced Samuel Ogoshi, 24, and his brother Samson Ogoshi, 21, both from Lagos, Nigeria, to 17 years and six months in prison for sextortion.
Court Sentence For Sextortion
In addition to their prison term, the Ogoshi brothers will serve five years of supervised release.
The court sentenced them after they were extradited to the US to face charges of conspiring to sexually exploit multiple minors.
The sextortion scheme led to the death of 17-year-old Jordan DeMay, a high school student from Michigan, according to the US Justice Department’s announcement on Facebook.
The Ogoshi brothers exploited over 100 victims, including 11 minors.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland stated, “these defendants sexually exploited and extorted more than 100 victims, including at least 11 minors, resulting in the tragic death of a 17-year-old high school student.”
“To criminals who commit these schemes: you are not immune from justice.
“We will track you down and hold you accountable, even if we have to go halfway around the world to do so,” US Attorney Mark Totten for the Western District of Michigan added.
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How They Operate
The Ogoshi brothers used hacked social media accounts to create fake profiles and conduct online research on their victims.
They discovered details such as the victims’ addresses, schools, workplaces, and information about their family and friends.
They coerced minor victims into producing sexually explicit images.
After receiving the images, they created collages that included these explicit photos alongside other images of the victims and their personal details.
The brothers then threatened to release these collages to the victims’ families, friends, and classmates unless they received payment via online cash applications.
Charged in November 2022, the Ogoshi brothers were extradited to the US in August 2023 and pled guilty in April.
A third Nigerian national, Ezekiel Robert, who was also charged for sextortion, is still awaiting extradition following an appeal in his home country.
