Jordan DeMay learned the "girl" he had been developing feelings for was actually three Nigerian men who were threatening to send these photos to his friends and family if he did not hand over $1000.
An all-American teenager took his own life after falling victim to a sextortion plot, says his grieving family.
Jordan DeMay, 17, was a popular and well-liked student at his Michigan high school.
The newly crowned homecoming king also believed that he was nurturing a new relationship with a young "woman" he met online.
"She" eventually convinced Jordan to send her sexually explicit photos of himself.
That is when Jordan learned the "girl" he had been developing feelings for was actually three men from Nigeria who were threatening to send these photos to his friends and family if he did not hand over $1000.
"Can send this to everyone until it goes viral," read one message sent to Jordan. "Just pay me right now and I wont expose you."
Jordan sent all the money he had to the men — $300 — but they demanded more.
Jordan then told his extortionists: "I'm [going to] kill myself right now because of you."
Their response?
"Good. Do that fast. Or I'll make you do it. I swear to god."
Jordan shot himself to death.
His devastated parents are now speaking out to Inside Edition
"It's an absolute tragedy that three men from the other side of our planet came into my home which was secure while I was sleeping and murdered my son," Jordan's father, John DeMay, tells Inside Edition. "There is nothing we can do about it."
Jordan's story is similar to that of 15-year-old New Yorker Riley Basford.
He also shot himself to death as well after being snared in a sextortion plot.
"He lost his mind in embarrassment, and fear, and scared," John says of his son. "They kept hounding him."
So how do they do it?
Helene Weiss, a cyber-security lawyer, explains: "These scammers have become so prolific, they're hacking into profiles that are not that young pretty girl you think you're talking to, it's actually a scammer 7000 miles away
She also says the number of sextortions have doubled since 2019
The DeMays now have a message for parents everywhere.
"Keep talking to them over and over and let them know that what they do today is not the end of the world for them tomorrow or next week or the next month," says Jordan's mom, Jennifer Buta. "And keep letting them know that you're there to support them and help them."
The same three Nigerian suspects are accused of sexually extorting more than 100 young men and teenage boys in the U.S.
