A Nigerian man has been extradited to the U.S. and charged with causing the death of a South Carolina teen who took his own life after the suspect posed as a woman and tried to extort the teen after he sent nude photos, prosecutors say.
The teenager was the son of a South Carolina representative who has been an advocate for laws against sextortion and online exploitation of minors.
The suspect, a 24-year-old Nigerian man, was brought to the U.S. to face charges of child exploitation resulting in death, production and distribution of child sexual abuse material, coercion and enticement of a minor, cyberstalking resulting in death, and interstate threats with intent to extort.
If convicted, the suspect faces 30 years to life in prison. Nigeria agreed to extradite the suspect under the condition that the death penalty would not be sought.
The case involved the suspect posing as a female college volleyball player on Instagram, convincing the teen to send risqué photos, and then extorting money from him. Tragically, the teen took his own life in response to the threats.
Despite the teen's death, the suspect continued to harass the family, even threatening to release the teen's photos. The investigation spanned over two years and involved international cooperation to bring the suspect to justice.
The South Carolina representative, who tragically lost his son in this case, has been a vocal advocate for laws protecting minors from online exploitation. He successfully pushed for 'Gavin's Law,' which makes sextortion a felony with harsh penalties, especially when the victim is a minor.
State and federal officials emphasized the significance of this extradition, sending a message that sextortion is a serious crime that will be pursued internationally. The successful extradition serves as a warning to perpetrators that they cannot evade justice by hiding in other countries.
