17-year-old South Carolina teen dies by suicide after sextortion scam on social media leading to Gavin’s Law passage

Summary

A 17-year-old South Carolina teen, Gavin Guffey, died by suicide in July 2022 after falling victim to a sextortion scam. The alleged scammer, Hassanbunhussein Abolore Lawal, 24, from Nigeria, posed as a young woman on social media, sent Gavin nude photos, and then threatened to share his nude images unless he paid money. After Gavin’s death, Lawal continued to send extortion messages to members of the Guffey family. Lawal was extradited from Nigeria to the United States in April 2024 and appeared in court in Columbia, South Carolina, where he faces charges including child exploitation resulting in death and distribution of child sexual abuse material. The case led to the passage of “Gavin’s Law” in South Carolina in 2023, which criminalizes sextortion of minors and requires schools to educate students about the risks.