On Thursday, two Nigerian siblings entered a plea of not guilty in relation to charges connected with their involvement in an international sexual extortion ring that led a 17-year-old boy in Michigan, US, to tragically take his own life.
Samuel Ogoshi, 22, and Samson Ogoshi, 20, were extradited to the US on August 13th.
The FBI and the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission jointly conducted investigations that implicated them in a sextortion network targeting over 100 minors and adults.
During a press briefing on August 13th, Mark Totten, the US attorney for the Western District of Michigan, unveiled plans to extradite a third suspect, Ezekial Ejemeh Robert, aged 19.
Both Robert and the Ogoshi brothers are confronting three charges, including conspiracy to exploit minors sexually, conspiracy to disseminate child pornography, and conspiracy to engage in internet-based stalking.
Samuel Ogoshi faces an additional fourth charge for sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, which resulted in the tragic death of the teenager.
According to prosecutors, Samuel, masquerading as a young woman on the Instagram social media platform, manipulated the teenage boy into sending a sexually explicit photo.
He is then alleged to have coerced the boy into giving him $1,000 and persisted in blackmail even after receiving $300. Samuel stands accused of inciting the boy to carry out his threat of suicide due to the blackmail, ultimately leading to the young boy’s untimely demise in March 2022.