Family Speaks Out After Nigerian Sextortion Scam Leads to Suicide

The family of a teenager who died by suicide following a sextortion scam is speaking out about the dangers of social media. 

Jordan DeMay was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Marquette, Mich., bedroom on Mar. 25, 2022, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Western Michigan District.

Authorities determined Jordan, 17, was victimized by a group of Nigerian scammers via social media in a sextortion plot prior to his death.

Sextortion is the act of extorting money or sexual favors from someone by threatening to reveal evidence of their sexual activity.

"My son was smart. He was a good student. He was a great athlete," John DeMay, Jordan's father, told Fox News on Wednesday. 

"Someone came to his bedroom at three in the morning and murdered him through Instagram when we were all sleeping at night, and we had zero chance to stop it,” DeMay added.

DeMay said although he kept a close eye on Jordan’s cell phone usage when he was younger, he stopped as the teen neared his 18th birthday.

"I didn't monitor social media anymore. I didn't let him have social media. I had to keep him from it for a long time," DeMay told the outlet. 

"I monitored his phone as much as any person ever could,” he said. “I tracked them [through] GPS. I monitored his text messages. I monitored his usage. I locked his phone down."

Authorities have charged Samuel Ogoshi, 22, Samson Ogoshi, 20, and Ezekiel Ejehem Robert, 19, in connection with Jordan’s death, per the release.

All three men have been charged with conspiracy to sexually exploit minors, conspiracy to distribute child pornography, and conspiracy to commit stalking through the internet.

The elder Ogoshi has also been charged with sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death, according to the release.

Authorities allege the three suspects bought hacked social media accounts and posed as young women “to lure teenage and young adult males into sexual chats.”

Under the username dani.robertts, Samuel allegedly demanded $1000 after Jordan sent him sexually explicit images. 

Instead, Jordan sent $300 and said he was going to kill himself. The suspect allegedly encouraged it. 

“Good. Do that fast. Or I’ll make you do it. I swear to God,” Samuel allegedly responded using the dani.robertts profile.

Nigerian law enforcement arrested the suspects earlier this year. The men are awaiting extradition to the United States, authorities said. It’s unclear if they retained an attorney to comment on their behalf.

 “Sextortion is a horrible crime that can leave especially younger victims feeling ashamed with nowhere to turn,” U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said in a statement via the release. “My heart goes out to the family of Jordan DeMay. Nothing can bring Jordan back, but my office is committed to securing justice and, alongside Jordan’s family, sending an urgent warning so others can protect themselves and their families. We will travel the world to hold the perpetrators of these crimes accountable.”

Jordan’s parents have pledged that going forward, they will make it their mission to educate families about the growing risk of sextortion.

“Our family has forever been changed by this heinous crime and our objective is to prevent another individual from being victimized,” the DeMay family previously said in a statement. “Kids, teenagers, and even adults can be a target of sextortion.  We urge you to have discussions about this and have a plan for your children to reach out if it does happen to them.”

“Jordan will never be forgotten,” said the DeMays. “He will forever be in our hearts and will drive us forward to share his story and help others.”