Thursday was sentencing day for two Nigerian brothers charged in a sextortion case that led to a Marquette teenager taking his own life.
Officials say both men will spend more than 17 years in prison for their roles in the online scheme.
Jordan Demay, 17, sent sexually explicit images on Instagram to who he thought was a girl.
When he couldn’t pay $1,000 to the crooks who were asking to keep the photos a secret, he committed suicide.
Local 4 spoke to his mother on Thursday (Sept. 5) after the hearing.
When asked about her reaction to the sentencing, Demay’s mother, Jennifer Buta, said, “Today was really a landmark day. And that someone is being held accountable for what happened to Jordan. But no matter what sentence the judge would have given to these brothers, it doesn’t change my life in that Jordan is not coming back. But they do have their time to serve for what they did to Jordan.”
Samson and Samuel Ogoshi both pleaded guilty back in April to charges of conspiracy to sexually exploit minors.
On Thursday, the men were sentenced to 17.5 years in prison. It’s the first time criminals from Nigeria have been tracked, charged, and extradited to the United States to face charges.
Demay’s father spoke to the media shortly after the hearing.
“This is a message that the United States is not going to let this happen,” said John. “The message is for the bad actors on the other side of the world that if they think they’re going to hide behind the waters of the ocean, it is over, and we’re going to do everything to hold you accountable if you’re going to participate in these things.”
Both parents said the time is now to take action to protect our kids and our communities.
“I think parents need to educate themselves about how social media works and really let it sink in that this is a scam nobody is safe from,” Buta said. “They need to have open conversations with their children that if anyone asks them for photos or money, that’s a situation where they need to go to an adult to seek help, and also, these kids are the victims in this. If they are targeted, they should not be ashamed to come forward. And say, ‘This is what I have going on; can you please help me.’”
Jordan’s case is still ongoing, and one more person is in Nigeria waiting to be extradited to the U.S. to face charges.
Five people were involved in the United States, including four in Georgia and one in Alabama. Their initial court hearings are coming up later this year.