Hassanbunhussein Abolore Lawal, a 24-year-old from Osun State, Nigeria, has been extradited to the United States to face charges related to a sextortion scheme that led to the death of a South Carolina teenager. The indictment was partially unsealed following Lawal's extradition.
The investigation began after Gavin Guffey, a 17-year-old from Rock Hill, South Carolina, died by suicide in July 2022. Lawal allegedly posed as a young woman on social media and coerced Guffey into sending compromising photos. He then extorted money from Guffey and sent harassing messages threatening to leak the photos unless he complied. The scheme reportedly extended to members of Guffey's family.
Lawal faces several charges including child exploitation resulting in death, production and distribution of child sexual abuse material, coercion and enticement of a minor, cyberstalking resulting in death, interstate threats with intent to extort, and aiding/abetting. If convicted, he could face up to life in prison with mandatory minimum sentences on multiple counts. The charge of child exploitation resulting in death carries a mandatory 30-year sentence.
The federal Grand Jury in South Carolina returned the indictment against Lawal in October 2023. On January 24th, FBI agents took custody of him in Lagos after extradition proceedings concluded with assistance from Nigerian law enforcement.
U.S. Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs for the District of South Carolina stated: “We will not allow predators who target our children to hide behind a keyboard or across the ocean." She expressed gratitude for the coordination between U.S. and Nigerian authorities that facilitated Lawal's arrest and extradition.
Steve Jensen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office said: “This indictment represents the culmination of countless hours of dedicated work done by our investigators both here and abroad.” He emphasized their commitment to holding criminals accountable regardless of their location.
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative aimed at protecting children from online exploitation and abuse through collaboration among various law enforcement agencies.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Daniels, Lothrop Morris, and Michael Shedd are prosecuting this case. It is important to note that all charges are accusations until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court.