Nigerian national arrested in Mississippi sextortion case
Case was the impetus for "Walker's Law"
OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI) – A Nigerian man is now in a Mississippi jail facing Federal charges for his role in a sextortion case that led to the passage of “Walker’s Law” in Mississippi.
ADEBOLA FESTUS ADEKUNLE
Adebola Festus Adekunle of Lagos, Nigeria has been extradited to the United States.
He is charged with sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death, the production of child sexual abuse material, coercion and enticement of a minor, and interstate threats with intent to extort.
The arrest is part of Operation Artemis, a global operation to crackdown on financially motivated sextortion.
Adekunle’s arrest is related to the case of Starkville teen Walker Montgomery, who died by suicide after falling victim to an online sextortion scheme
His death prompted Mississippi lawmakers to pass the “Protecting Children Online Act,” also known as “Walker’s Law”, which requires social media platforms to verify user age and get parental consent for minors.
Adekunle faces up to life in prison if convicted.
The Starkville Police Department and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office worked in conjunction with the FBI to investigate this case.
