Sextortion and Jordan DeMay’s Story

Michigan teen Jordan DeMay’s tragic suicide sheds light on the escalating dangers of online sextortion schemes. Described as a vibrant and popular 17-year-old, Jordan’s life took a dark turn when he received a seemingly innocent message from an Instagram account posing as a teenage girl. Unbeknownst to him, this account was allegedly operated by Nigerian men involved in an online extortion ring, manipulating vulnerable teens.

Within six hours of initial contact, the fake persona, identified as “Dani Robertts,” lured Jordan into sharing explicit photos after sharing her own nudes. Exploiting the compromising material, “Dani” swiftly demanded money, threatening to expose Jordan’s intimate images to his friends and family. Tragically, this relentless coercion culminated in Jordan taking his own life, as prosecutors contend.

Jordan’s mother, Jennifer DeMay Buta, expressed her belief that he felt tortured and compelled to end his life to avoid ruining it, illustrating the profound impact of these heinous schemes. The FBI and child safety advocates emphasize that Jordan’s story is part of a disturbing trend affecting teens nationwide, urging parents, educators, and caregivers to stay vigilant.

FBI Supervisory Special Agent Mark Civiletto revealed alarming statistics, with over 7,000 reported sextortion cases against children in 2022, likely representing only a fraction of the actual occurrences. The FBI disclosed that over 20 minors have committed suicide due to sextortion scams in recent years.

Lauren Coffren, Executive Director of the Exploited Children Division, noted a surge in sextortion reports, surpassing the previous year’s figures by mid-2023. Experts argue that Jordan’s experience mirrors the typical pattern of sextortion plots investigated by law enforcement.

In March 2022, Jordan engaged with “dani.robertts” on Instagram, unaware of the impending manipulation. The seemingly harmless conversation turned explicit, leading Jordan to question the authenticity of the interaction. Despite expressing skepticism, he eventually shared compromising photos, triggering a rapid transformation in the situation.

“Dani” immediately threatened to expose the images, demanding $1,000 from Jordan. Unaware of these exchanges, Jordan’s parents later discovered he had sent over $300, but the extortion persisted relentlessly. Faced with collages featuring his compromised photo alongside images of friends and family, Jordan succumbed to the escalating pressure, expressing thoughts of suicide to “Dani.”

Law enforcement traced “Dani Robertts’s” IP address to Nigeria, a hub for online sextortion scams. Three Nigerian men, Samuel (22) and Samson Ogoshi (20), and Ezekiel Ejemeh Robert (19), were implicated in Jordan’s case and over 100 other victims. Arrested in Nigeria and indicted in the U.S. in May, the Ogoshi brothers faced extradition to the U.S. in August on charges related to exploiting minors, distributing pornography, and internet stalking.