TWO Nigerian brothers, Samuel Ogoshi, 22, and Samson Ogoshi, 20, hailing from Lagos, entered pleas of not guilty on Thursday to charges of sexually extorting teenage boys and young men across the United States, including Michigan. The arraignment took place in the US District Court in Marquette, Michigan, as confirmed by US Attorney Mark Totten through a news release.
A detention hearing has been scheduled for the Ogoshi brothers next Wednesday, according to Totten.
The allegations against the Ogoshis revolve around their purported involvement in an international sextortion ring. Operating under the guise of a woman, they allegedly coerced victims into sending explicit photos online. Subsequently, they would threaten to publicly share these images unless the victims complied with their demands for money or sexual acts.
This sinister activity is said to have led to the tragic suicide of 17-year-old Jordan DeMay of Marquette on March 25, 2022. The Upper Peninsula community mourned the loss, shedding light on the harmful effects of sextortion.
Sextortion, a disturbing form of online exploitation, can have dire consequences, as seen in this case. The Ogoshi brothers are facing charges related to sexually exploiting minors, distributing child sexual abuse images, and committing stalking through the internet. Samuel Ogoshi also faces additional charges of sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death.
The indictment against the brothers was issued in May, and they were subsequently extradited to the United States on Sunday.
Efforts to gather comments from the Ogoshi brothers’ federal public defender regarding the accusations have been made through email and telephone messages, but responses are currently pending.
US Attorney Mark Totten has refrained from disclosing the exact number of victims involved in the case, highlighting the complexity and severity of the situation.