The Justice Department announced Monday that a Nigerian man who was charged with the “sextortion” of a South Carolina minor who committed suicide had been extradited to the United States to face charges.
After he was reportedly extorted by Hassanbunhussein Abolore Lawal using “compromising photos,” 17-year-old Gavin Guffey committed himself in 2022, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina.
Lawal allegedly forced Guffey to email him sexually explicit material in 2022 by pretending to be a young woman, according to a complaint filed in South Carolina in 2023. Then, if Guffey didn’t give him money, Lawal threatened to disclose the material.
According to court filings, Lawal then allegedly threatened to leak the photos and damage Guffey’s and some of his family members’ reputations unless they paid him money.
Rep. Brandon Guffey, R-SC, was Guffey’s father. Following the death of his son, Brandon Guffey helped pass “Gavin’s Law,” a bill that made sexual extortion a felony in the state and an aggravated felony “if the victim is a minor, vulnerable adult, or if the victim suffers bodily injury or death directly related to the crime,” according to Gov. Henry McMaster’s office. In August 2023, McMaster signed the bill into law.
An NBC News request for comment from Brandon Guffey was not immediately answered.
According to the U.S. attorney’s office, Lawal was indicted by a grand jury in October 2023. According to the indictment, Lawal was accused of interstate threat with purpose to extort, child exploitation resulting in death, distribution of child pornography, compulsion and enticing of a minor, and cyberstalking resulting in death.
With assistance from Nigerian law enforcement, FBI Columbia field office agents arrested Lawal in Lagos, Nigeria, on Friday and carried out the extradition. On Monday, he was arraigned in Columbia, South Carolina’s federal court.
Adair Ford Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, stated, “We will not allow predators who target our children to hide behind a keyboard or across the ocean.” “Today we honor Gavin s life and continue our fight against sextortion by holding this defendant accountable.”
Lawal could be imprisoned for life if convicted. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he also faces “mandatory minimum prison sentences on multiple counts,” including a maximum 30-year sentence for the allegation of child abuse resulting in death. Lawal might potentially be required to reimburse the Guffey family for the damages they suffered as a result of the scam.
The ongoing case is a component of Project Safe Childhood, “a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Lawal’s investigation, arrest, and extradition were the result of a collaboration between U.S. and Nigerian law enforcement.