The text messages that allegedly caused an Australian teenager to commit suicide after two Nigerian men were arrested
Two Nigerian men accused of extortion that led an Australian teenage boy to commit suicide have been charged.
The boy had been in contact online with an unknown person who threatened to share personal photos of him with his family and friends if he did not pay $500.
It is believed that he committed suicide in 2023 as a result of the threats.
Police investigated the case before referring it to the NSW State Crime Command Cybercrime Squad, who traced the alleged perpetrators to Nigeria before requesting assistance from the Australian Federal Police.
As a result of the AFP-led investigation, which worked with South African and Nigerian authorities, two Nigerian men were arrested in March and charged with extortion offences.
Police suspect an Australian teenager took his own life after being threatened with an alleged extortion ploy
Two men (pictured) were arrested in Nigeria by Australian Federal Police following an investigation into the teenager’s death
The men were found in a slum in Nigeria with a population of 25 million people, NSW Police said in a statement on Monday.
The men will be dealt with locally, where authorities can prosecute for Australian-based crimes.
Commander of the NSW State Crime Command Cybercrime Squad, Detective Constable Matthew Craft, said the message to young people was that they did not have to suffer in silence.
“We have seen a huge spike in sextortion cases, which have increased by almost 400 percent in the last 18 months,” he said.
‘But the good news is that people are reporting it and we can take steps to help you before it goes too far.
“We want young people to continue reporting these cases and never feel ashamed about talking to police.”
Det Spt Craft said the arrests in Nigeria showed how far police were willing to go to seek justice.
AFP Commander Helen Schneider praised the work of investigators and said the arrests showed what could be achieved when law enforcement worked together to combat a global problem.
“Child extortion is a crime without borders, as these arrests demonstrate,” Commander Schneider said.
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