Nigerian Extradited To US Faces Life Sentence Over Nude Photo That Led To Teen’s Death

A Nigerian man has been extradited to the United States to face charges in connection with the sextortion of a teenage boy who subsequently committed suicide.

Hassanbunhussein Abolore Lawal, 24, of Osun State, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted of child exploitation resulting in death, distribution of child sexual abuse material, cyberstalking and other charges.

Gavin Guffey, 17, the son of a state lawmaker from Rock Hill, South Carolina, killed himself in July 2022 after being victimized by Lawal, the US Justice Department said in a statement, published by Vanguard News.

“Lawal allegedly posed as a young woman on social media and coerced the teen into sending compromising photos,” it said. “He then extorted and sent harassing messages to the teen threatening to leak the photos and ruin his reputation unless the teen sent him money.”

Lawal was indicted by a federal grand jury in South Carolina in October 2023 and flown to the United States on Friday, the Justice Department said.

“We will not allow predators who target our children to hide behind a keyboard or across the ocean,” US Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs said. “Today we honor Gavin’s life and continue our fight against sextortion by holding this defendant accountable.”

The South Carolina legislature passed a bill following Guffey’s death known as “Gavin’s Law” that makes sexual extortion a felony offense and an aggravated felony if the victim is a minor or suffers bodily injury or death directly related to the crime.