A 24-year-old Nigerian man, Hassanbunhussein Abolore Lawal, has been extradited to the United States after being indicted in connection with the s+xtortion of Gavin Guffey, a 17-year-old South Carolina teen who d+ed by s¥icide in 2022.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Lawal allegedly posed as a young woman on social media to obtain compromising photos of Guffey. He then thr£atened to leak the photos unless Guffey paid him money. Guffey, the son of South Carolina state Rep. Brandon Guffey, tr+gically took his own life following the extortion.
In October 2023, Lawal was indicted on multiple charges, including child exploitation resulting in d+ath, distribution of child p+rnography, coercion and enticement of a minor, cyberstalking resulting in d+ath, and attempted extortion. If convicted, Lawal faces up to life in prison and mandatory restitution to cover the family’s losses.
U.S. Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs emphasized the commitment to combating online predators, stating, “We will not allow pr+dators who target our children to hide behind a keyboard or across the ocean. Today we honor Gavin’s life and continue our fight against s+xtortion by holding this defendant accountable.”
After Guffey’s d+ath, his father championed a bill known as Gavin’s Law, making s+x¥al extortion a felony and an aggravated felony if the victim is a minor, a vulnerable adult, or s¥ffers bodily h+rm or d+ath. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster signed the bill into law in August 2023.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, reported in July that s+xtortion sc+ms are on the rise, with many originating from Nigeria. The company stated it had removed over 63,000 accounts involved in financial s+xtortion schemes.
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