Prosecutors expect a Nigerian man to plead guilty in the sextortion case linked to the 2022 death of 17-year-old Gavin Guffey, the son of South Carolina state Rep. Brandon Guffey, WCNC News reported.
According to WCNC, prosecutors say Hassanbunhussein Abolore Lawal is expected to plead guilty to production of child pornography and cyberstalking resulting in death after coercing Gavin Guffey to send compromising photos and harassing him for money before his death by suicide. Prosecutors said Lawal used online aliases including “Bellajannet28,” “Bellajannet30,” and “Aliceconnors66.”
Charges, penalties, and timeline
WCNC reported that prosecutors indicted Lawal on federal charges in January 2025. If convicted, he could face up to 30 years in prison and would be required to register as a sex offender upon release, according to WCNC.
What the father says happened
Rep. Brandon Guffey said his son believed he was communicating with a woman at another college on Instagram and that the suspect used stolen photos to extort the teen for money. Guffey also said scammers tried to extort the family after Gavin’s death.
“I mean to go as far as to send me a message less than 30 days after Gavin’s death to say did I tell you your son begged for his life — shows you how evil these people can be,” Guffey said, according to WCNC. “There’s no telling how many other kids they have targeted.”
Aftermath
WCNC reported that Rep. Guffey introduced legislation in 2022 to crack down on sexual exploitation.
