A Michigan Teenager Killed Himself After He Was 'Sextorted' on Social Media. Now, Two Nigerian Brothers Are Behind Bars.

A pair of Nigerian brothers were each sentenced to more than 17 years in prison for carrying out a "sextortion" scheme that led to the 2022 suicide of 17-year-old Jordan DeMay, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Michigan announced.

Samuel Ogoshi, 24, and Samson Ogoshi, 21, were each sentenced to 210 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release after they were extradited to the U.S. from Nigeria in 2023 and pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiracy to sexually exploit minors.

The brothers engaged in a scheme to sexually extort more than 100 victims, including at least 11 minors.

They purchased hacked social media accounts to pose as young women and solicit victims to produce sexually explicit images of themselves. Once they had the images, they threatened to release the images to the victims' families and friends unless they agreed to pay money.

“Today’s sentencing of Samuel and Samson Ogoshi sends a thundering message. To criminals who commit these schemes: you are not immune from justice. We will track you down and hold you accountable, even if we have to go half-way around the world to do so. The day when you could commit these crimes, rake in easy cash, destroy lives, and escape justice is gone," U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said in a statement.

“And to parents, teenagers, and everyone who uses a cell phone: please, please be careful," Totten said. "These devices can connect you to criminal networks around the world. Don’t assume people are who they say they are. Don’t share compromising images. And if you’re a victim, please reach out. There’s help, and law enforcement stands ready.”

The FBI says people can protect themselves from becoming victims of sextortion schemes by remembering that "people can pretend to be anything or anyone online." Photos and videos are not proof that the person you are talking to online is who they claim to be.

Above all, the FBI wants victims, especially young people, to be willing to ask for help.

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"If you have been victimized online, tell someone. Being a victim of sextortion is not your fault. You can get through this challenge, even if it seems scary and overwhelming. There are people who want to help," the FBI says.

“These defendants sexually exploited and extorted more than 100 victims, including at least eleven minors, resulting in the tragic death of a 17- year-old high school student,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “These sentences should serve as a warning that the perpetrators of online sexual exploitation and extortion cannot escape accountability for their heinous crimes by hiding behind their phones and computers. The Justice Department will find them, no matter where they are, and we will bring them to justice in the United States.”

TMX contributed to this report.