15 hours ago
South Carolina man sentenced for deadly sextortion case in Michigan
A South Carolina man has been sentenced in connection with a sextortion scheme that caused the death of a Michigan man, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced.
Glenn Daeward Boyd, 36, of Kershaw, South Carolina, was sentenced Monday to 22.5 years in prison after he was convicted by a federal jury in February of attempted extortion, stalking and five counts of wire fraud.
According to officials, Boyd was incarcerated in South Carolina when he used a contraband cellphone to pose as an 18-year-old woman named "Jad" from Grand Rapids, Michigan, on a dating app Plenty of Fish in August 2023. Boyd is accused of sending the victim nude photos of an adult woman and then allegedly telling the victim that he was 15 years old. Later, Boyd reportedly posed as the victim's grandparents and threatened to report him as a pedophile to his family and police if he didn't pay money.
U.S. attorneys say the victim died by suicide because of the sextortion.
"Yesterday's sentencing serves as a stark reminder of the grave nature of Mr. Boyd's predatory actions specifically, his heinous crimes of sexual exploitation and extortion that have tragically resulted in a profound loss of life," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan, in a statement. "As we stand in solidarity with the victim's loved ones, the FBI is unwavering in its commitment to deliver justice. We will collaborate with our law enforcement partners throughout the state to identify and hold accountable those who perpetrate acts of online exploitation."
The FBI offered the following tips to protect yourself from sextortion:
Be selective about what you share online.
Be wary of anyone you encounter for the first time online. Block or ignore messages from strangers.
Be aware that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that people are who they claim to be.
Be suspicious if you meet someone on one game or app and this person asks you to start talking on a different platform.
Be in the know. Any content you create online, whether it is a text message, photo or video, can be made public.
Be willing to ask for help. If you are getting messages or requests online that don't seem right, block the sender, report the behavior to the site administrator, or go to an adult.
