A 24-year-old Nigerian man, Hassanbunhussein Abolore Lawal, has been extradited to the United States to face charges of sextortion, which led to the death of a 17-year-old victim, Gavin Guffey.
Lawal, from Osun state, Nigeria, was flown to the US on Saturday after an agreement was reached with the Nigerian government that he would not face the death penalty if found guilty.
Lawal appeared in a federal court in Columbia, South Carolina, on Monday, wearing an orange prison jumpsuit and shackles.
He pleaded not guilty to charges including child exploitation resulting in death and production and distribution of child sexual abuse material.
The investigation revealed that Lawal allegedly posed as a young woman on social media, coercing the victim into sending compromising photos.
He then extorted and sent harassing messages, threatening to leak the photos and ruin the victim’s reputation unless he received money.
Lawal also targeted members of the victim’s family with the same tactics.
Lawal faces life imprisonment, with the charge of child exploitation resulting in death carrying a mandatory 30-year sentence.
He will be held without bail until his next court hearing on Monday.
This case is not an isolated incident. In September 2024, two Nigerian brothers were sentenced to 17 years and six months in jail in the US for a similar sextortion scam.
Instagram owner Meta has also removed thousands of accounts in Nigeria involved in sextortion schemes.
