Canadian victims tied to global sextortion ring, including minors

(Vojtech Okenka / Pexels.com)

Ivorian nationals have been arrested in Cote d’Ivoire in connection with an international sextortion and money laundering scheme that involved Canadian victims, which U.S. authorities say led to the suicide of one American teen.

According to a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) press release, the accused, Alfred Kassi, allegedly worked with several money laundering accomplices who helped Kassi move the money he received from victims.

Authorities say the scheme targeted thousands of victims, including minors, throughout Canada, the U.S., U.K., France, Spain and Italy.

Seventeen-year-old U.S. teen Ryan Last, who the DOJ alleges is one of Kassi’s victims, allegedly committed suicide hours after being sextorted online by an individual pretending to a 20-year-old woman in February 2022. The DOJ says Last paid Kassi US$150 dollars to prevent his intimate images from being released.

Kassi was arrested on April 29 by Ivorian law enforcement. The DOJ says at the time of arrest, the accused had the sextortion messages he sent to Last still on his phone.

One of the alleged money launderers is Oumarou Ouedraogo, who was arrested by Ivorian law enforcement on April 25. Ivorian law enforcement also arrested two other individuals, Moussa Diaby and Oumar Cisse. Both Diaby and Cisse were part of Kassi’s alleged sextortion network and admitted to their own sextortion crimes.

“The government of Cote d’Ivoire does not extradite its own citizens, so these defendants will be prosecuted in their own country under Ivorian cybercrime statutes,” the press release said.