Three teenage boys die by suicide after online financial sextortion via Instagram in 2022
Summary
Three teenage boys—James Woods (17, Ohio), Jordan DeMay (17, Michigan), and Braden Markus (15, Ohio)—died by suicide after falling victim to online financial sextortion in 2022. Predators posing as teenage girls on social media platforms like Instagram initiated conversations, gained trust, and then threatened to share nude photos unless victims paid money. In each case, the boys were blackmailed within hours and died shortly after. The perpetrators, including Nigerian cybercriminals Samuel and Samson Ogoshi, targeted over 100 victims, including minors, and were extradited to the U.S. and sentenced in 2024. In response, South Carolina passed Gavin's Law in 2023, classifying sextortion as a felony and requiring schools to educate students about the crime.
Incident Details
Harms involving the exploitation, abuse, or endangerment of minors, including CSAM and grooming.
Sources
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