The South Carolina Representative whose son killed himself after being targeted by a sextortion scheme finally faced the man believed to be behind the scam.
Brandon Guffey, 45, lost his 17-year-old son Gavin to suicide after a Nigerian man allegedly posed as a girl and tricked the teen into sending him nude photos over Instagram.
The suspect, Hassanbunhussein Abolore Lawal, 24, then allegedly demanded money from Gavin and threatened to post the photos online if he did not pay.
Gavin had transferred the scammer everything in his Venmo account – $25 – and begged for more time. But on July 27, 2022, he shot himself at his family’s home in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
Lawal was extradited from Lagos, Nigeria to Columbia, South Carolina on Friday to appear in court on Monday – when Gavin’s devastated father saw the accused scammer for the first time.’
‘Rage is the best way to describe how I felt. I think I cracked molars just gritting my teeth so hard,’ Guffey told CNN.
‘I’m a roller coaster of emotions right now. I served in the house with a representative who lost his mother and sister in the Dylann Roof shootings down in Charleston. And those families were able to look at Dylann Roof and say, “we forgive you.”
‘I want to ask … “how do you have forgiveness in your heart?” Because I just don’t have it. I have anger and vengeance. And every time I see my family’s pain over this, it just infuriates me more.’
The GOP lawmaker said that Lawal kept his head down and his gaze away from the grieving family.
The alleged con-artist faces up to life in prison, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
One of his charges carries the death penalty, but Nigeria only agreed to send Lawal to the US if prosecutors did not seek his execution, the Associated Press reported.
He has been charged with child exploitation resulting in death – which could see him spend 30 years in prison in lieu of the death penalty – the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material, and coercion and enticement of a minor.
Lawal also faces charges of cyberstalking resulting in death, interstate threats with intent to extort and aiding/abetting.
The 24-year-old has pleaded not guilty to all charges, CNN reported.
The indictment also alleges that Lawal harassed the victim’s family as a part of his plot.
In the weeks following Gavin’s death, the scammers then turned their attention to the boy’s family, sending them a slew of messages on Instagram, threatening to release the nude photos unless they paid up.
On August 20, which would have been Gavin’s birthday, the scammer messaged the Guffey family: ‘Did I tell you your son begged for his life,’ followed by a laughing face emoji.
US Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs for the District of South Carolina said in a statement: ‘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.
‘This investigation and extradition are the result of tremendous law enforcement coordination both in the United States and Nigeria. We’re grateful to the many agencies who helped make this day possible.’
According to the US Attorney’s Office, a grand jury formally indicted Lawal in October 2023.
When the suspect was being extradited on Friday, FBI agents from South Carolina took custody of Lawal in Lagos and ‘executed the removal with assistance from Nigerian law enforcement.’
‘This indictment represents the culmination of countless hours of dedicated work done by our investigators both here and abroad,’ Steve Jensen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office said in a statement.
‘The defendant’s alleged actions are reprehensible resulting in the tragic loss of a young man’s life. We remain steadfast in our commitment to holding criminals accountable, especially those who target our children and endanger their lives, no matter where they are.’
Guffey told CNN he was surprised they were able to extradite Lawal because it ‘is not something that commonly happens with Nigeria.’
At Monday’s court hearing, Guffey wore a black shirt with a ‘<3' symbol - representing a heart - on it, alluding to the last text message Gavin sent his family in the moments before he shot himself.
Last year, Guffey sued Meta for wrongful death and gross negligence, among other accusations. He claims the company is not doing enough to protect minors from online predators.
The lawsuit also accuses the company of sparking mental health issues in children such as depression and anxiety – and that it uses algorithms to target teens while not keeping them safe.
In a statement to CNN, the company did not directly address the lawsuit, but said ‘safety is a big priority for the company and that it offers to help its young users stay safe.’
Additionally, Guffey has teamed up with Cyber Dive, a company that has made a smartphone for children with a feature that shuts the phone off if it detects nudity.
The phone also lets parents see what their kids are up to on social media.
‘My mission in life, regardless of politics or anything else, is to protect kids until the day that I die,’ Guffey told CNN.
In May 2023, South Carolina senators passed Gavin’s Law – a legislation proposed by Guffey that criminalizes the type of scam that led to his son’s death.
The law states that sextortion is ‘a felony offense 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.’
It also requires local school districts to inform students of both the law and their rights in such situations.
Representative Guffey has recorded videos where explains details of the law named for his son.
‘I feel like he (Gavin) would want me trying to save additional kids from ever having to feel the way that he felt at that time,’ Guffey said at the time.