Man indicted for ‘sextortion’ linked to death in Kent County
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A South Carolina man has been indicted on federal charges, with investigators saying a man in Kent County died by suicide as the result of a sexual extortion scheme.
Glenn Daeward Boyd, 35, was indicted on seven counts — attempted extortion, stalking and five counts of wire fraud — according to documents filed in federal court on April 9. He is from the town of Kershaw, northeast of Columbia, South Carolina.
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The document says that Boyd pretended to be an 18-year-old woman called “Jad” on the dating website Plenty of Fish and matched with the Kent County man on Aug. 2, 2023. Their conversations soon moved to text messages, with Boyd using an app-generated phone number. Boyd, still posing as a woman, told the victim he wanted to be “friends with benefits,” according to the indictment.
On Aug. 4, the document says, Boyd sent the victim an explicit image. He then told the victim the person in the image was actually a minor. Pretending to be the girl’s grandparents, he “threatened to expose (the victim) as a pedophile to his family, friends and the police unless (the victim) paid him,” the indictment said. Investigators say that Boyd then posted on Facebook, calling the victim a pedophile.
“On August 4, 2023, (the victim) died by suicide as a result of the pressure exerted by Boyd,” the indictment reads.
“Nationally and here in Michigan we have seen a startling increase in the number of sextortion crimes – like we have alleged here – that result in the victim’s death,” U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said in a Wednesday statement.
Just last week, two men from Nigeria pleaded guilty in a sextortion scheme that led a 17-year-old in the Upper Peninsula to die by suicide in 2022. In that case, the men tricked the boy into sending them an explicit image and then blackmailed him with it. A third suspect may still be extradited for Nigeria to face charges in that case.
“We are fully committed to holding perpetrators of these crimes accountable,” Totten’s statement ocntinued. “At the same time, I strongly urge everyone who carries a device or is active online to remain aware that criminals constantly troll the internet and social media, to not assume people are who they say they are, and to know that if you make a mistake, law enforcement is eager and ready to help.”
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The FBI urges people to be wary of strangers online, especially if you meet them on one app and they want to switch to a less traceable platform. Remember that if you post images online or share them to others, you lose control of them.
Report suspicious behavior to website management or go to an adult for help if something is wrong. Anyone who is a victim or knows someone who may be a victim of sextortion can reach the FBI at 1.800.CALL.FBI or online at tips.fbi.gov.
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