Nigerian decide convicts man of sextorting B.C. teen who died by suicide

[ad_1] WARNING: This text incorporates particulars of sexual extortion and should have an effect on those that have skilled it or know somebody affected by it.

RCMP are hailing the conviction and sentencing of a person in Nigeria who tried to blackmail a Surrey, B.C., teenager by posting his intimate photographs on-line, saying "sextortions and fraud" won't be tolerated by society.

Nigeria's Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee mentioned Olukeye Adedayo was sentenced final week to jail phrases totalling 76 years, after offences that the RCMP mentioned resulted within the boy's "sudden demise" in February 2023.

Nigeria's monetary crimes company mentioned in social media posts that Adedayo confronted 18 fees, together with possession and distribution of kid pornography, tried extortion by threats, and cash laundering.

It mentioned Adedayo arrange an Instagram group utilizing the boy's identify to distribute the photographs, which the RCMP mentioned the 14-year-old thought he had despatched to a teenage woman in a web-based interplay that was over inside minutes.

WATCH | Sextortion results in B.C. boy's suicide, police say: Man in Nigeria charged in tragic B.C. teen sextortion case

Surrey RCMP have introduced fees in a tragic sexual extortion case involving a 14-year-old boy. Police say the previous scholar athlete took his personal life after he was blackmailed by a web-based scammer in Nigeria. As Jon Hernandez reviews, this is only one of a rising variety of sextortion instances. The RCMP mentioned in an announcement that Adedayo's conviction got here after a world effort.

"The conviction and sentencing ... is the results of an intense year-long worldwide investigation," mentioned the assertion from the Surrey Provincial Operations Help Unit.

"This end result got here from collaborative efforts from the Surrey RCMP, the FBI, the Australian Federal Police and the (Nigerian) Financial and Monetary Crime Fee ... We consider this case delivers a powerful message that sextortions and fraud won't be tolerated in our group."

"We prolong our ideas to the household and mates of the younger sufferer on this file. We hope that the conclusion of the courtroom course of supplies them closure."

The Mounties did not identify the boy, however at a information convention final yr, mentioned he had been appropriately recognized in media reviews a few 14-year-old from Surrey who died by suicide.

Sentences to run concurrently The Nigerian company mentioned Adedayo pleaded not responsible to all counts, however a decide convicted him of all fees and sentenced him final Thursday.

Nevertheless, the company mentioned the 18 sentences are to run concurrently, suggesting the longest sentence he'll serve is seven years for every of the 4 counts of acquiring property underneath false pretences.

The fee mentioned the prosecution witnesses included a sergeant with the RCMP Critical Crime Unit.

A cost quoted by the fee mentioned that Adedayo created the Instagram group with the specific photographs on or about Feb. 13, 2023.

The boy's hockey group posted a condolence message saying he died the following day.

Police mentioned in final yr's information convention that the 14-year-old had been a goal of sextortion, through which he had been fooled into pondering an individual asking for intimate photographs over Instagram and Snapchat was a teenage woman.

The perpetrator then instructed the boy to purchase them reward playing cards to stop the photographs from being distributed on-line, police mentioned. The interactions had been solely minutes lengthy, investigators added.

Police supplied an announcement from the boy's household final February, saying he was an "harmless little one" who beloved life and beloved hockey, and he was taken benefit of.

"As we grieve the lack of our son, we wish different dad and mom to know this might occur to anybody," the assertion mentioned.

"Discuss to your youngsters about web security, and hold the door to communication open, to allow them to come to you for assist."

WATCH | Teenage boys usually focused by extortionists: Dying of boy renews calls to guard youngsters from sextortion

The demise of a B.C. boy is renewing the dialog about the best way to defend youngsters from on-line sexual extortion. Specialists say it is usually teenage boys who're focused. The U.S.-based Community Contagion Analysis Institute launched a report right into a spate of sextortion makes an attempt originating from Nigeria final yr.

The group's menace intelligence report talks a few "digital pandemic" of sextortion incidents mentioned to have risen 1,000 per cent within the previous 18 months.

Help is out there for anybody who has been sexually assaulted. You'll be able to entry disaster traces and native help companies by means of this Authorities of Canada web site or the Ending Violence Affiliation of Canada database. For those who're in instant hazard or worry on your security or that of others round you, please name 911.

For those who or somebody you realize is struggling, here is the place to get assist:

This information from the Centre for Dependancy and Psychological Well being outlines the best way to discuss suicide with somebody you are fearful about.